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Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns
The invocation of fifth columns in the political arena -- whether contrived or based on real fears -- has recurred periodically throughout history and is experiencing an upsurge in our era of democratic erosion and geopolitical uncertainty. Fifth columns accusations can have baleful effects on
governance and trust, as they call into question the loyalty and belonging of the targeted populations. They can cause human rights abuses, political repression, and even ethnic cleansing. Enemies Within is the first book to systematically investigate the roots and implications of the politics of
fifth columns. In this volume, a multidisciplinary group of leading scholars address several related questions: When are actors likely to employ fifth-column claims and against whom? What accounts for changes in fifth-column framing over time? How do the claims and rhetoric of governments differ
from those of societal groups? How do accusations against ethnically or ideologically defined groups differ? Finally, how do actors labeled as fifth columns respond? To answer these questions, the contributors apply a common theoretical framework and work within the tradition of qualitative social
science to analyze cases from three continents, oftentimes challenging conventional wisdom. Enemies Within offers a unique perspective to better understand contemporary challenges including the rise of populism and authoritarianism, the return of chauvinistic nationalism, the weakening of democratic
norms, and the persecution of ethnic or religious minorities and political dissidents.
governance and trust, as they call into question the loyalty and belonging of the targeted populations. They can cause human rights abuses, political repression, and even ethnic cleansing. Enemies Within is the first book to systematically investigate the roots and implications of the politics of
fifth columns. In this volume, a multidisciplinary group of leading scholars address several related questions: When are actors likely to employ fifth-column claims and against whom? What accounts for changes in fifth-column framing over time? How do the claims and rhetoric of governments differ
from those of societal groups? How do accusations against ethnically or ideologically defined groups differ? Finally, how do actors labeled as fifth columns respond? To answer these questions, the contributors apply a common theoretical framework and work within the tradition of qualitative social
science to analyze cases from three continents, oftentimes challenging conventional wisdom. Enemies Within offers a unique perspective to better understand contemporary challenges including the rise of populism and authoritarianism, the return of chauvinistic nationalism, the weakening of democratic
norms, and the persecution of ethnic or religious minorities and political dissidents.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2022
24 people want to read
About the author
Harris Mylonas
6 books10 followersHarris Mylonas is a political scientist interested in the processes of state- and nation-building, political development, and diaspora policy. His work contributes to our understanding of states’ management of diversity that may originate from national minorities, immigrants, diasporas, or refugees. He is particularly interested in the role of decision makers’ perceptions about foreign involvement in their domestic affairs and the impact these perceptions have on the planning and implementation of state policies.
He is the author of "The Politics of Nation-Building" (Cambridge University Press, 2012), for which he won The Peter Katzenstein Book Prize for the best first book on International Relations, Comparative Politics, or Political Economy in 2013 and the European Studies Book Award by the Council for European Studies in 2014.
He has co-edited two volumes, "Enemies Within: Fifth Column Politics in Comparative Perspective" (Oxford University Press, 2022; w/ Scott Radnitz) and "The Microfoundations of Diaspora Politics" (Routledge, 2022; w/ Alexandra Délano Alonso).
Mylonas is currently co-authoring a book with Maya Tudor tentatively entitled "Situating Nationalism" (under contract with Cambridge University Press) and working on another single-authored book tentatively entitled "Diaspora Management Logics."
His work has also been published in the Annual Review of Political Science, Perspectives on Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Security Studies, European Journal of Political Research, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Territory, Politics, Governance, Nations and Nationalism, Social Science Quarterly, Nationalities Papers, Ethnopolitics, as well as various edited volumes.
Harris Mylonas is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University and editor-in-chief of Nationalities Papers. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University, his MA in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and completed his undergraduate degree at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Athens, Greece. In 2008-09 and 2011-12 academic years he was an Academy Scholar in residence at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. He has served as Associate Dean for Research at the Elliott School of International Affairs (2017-18).
He is the author of "The Politics of Nation-Building" (Cambridge University Press, 2012), for which he won The Peter Katzenstein Book Prize for the best first book on International Relations, Comparative Politics, or Political Economy in 2013 and the European Studies Book Award by the Council for European Studies in 2014.
He has co-edited two volumes, "Enemies Within: Fifth Column Politics in Comparative Perspective" (Oxford University Press, 2022; w/ Scott Radnitz) and "The Microfoundations of Diaspora Politics" (Routledge, 2022; w/ Alexandra Délano Alonso).
Mylonas is currently co-authoring a book with Maya Tudor tentatively entitled "Situating Nationalism" (under contract with Cambridge University Press) and working on another single-authored book tentatively entitled "Diaspora Management Logics."
His work has also been published in the Annual Review of Political Science, Perspectives on Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Security Studies, European Journal of Political Research, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Territory, Politics, Governance, Nations and Nationalism, Social Science Quarterly, Nationalities Papers, Ethnopolitics, as well as various edited volumes.
Harris Mylonas is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University and editor-in-chief of Nationalities Papers. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Yale University, his MA in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and completed his undergraduate degree at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Athens, Greece. In 2008-09 and 2011-12 academic years he was an Academy Scholar in residence at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies. He has served as Associate Dean for Research at the Elliott School of International Affairs (2017-18).
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