ACU (Australian Catholic University)

Mark is an Associate Professor in Politics in the National School of Arts. He joined ACU in early 2013 from the University of Melbourne where he had been a McKenzie Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences. Trained as a political scientist and lawyer, Mark received his BA (Hons) and LLB (Hons) from the Australian National University. His PhD in Political Science and International Relations was awarded by the University of Queensland in 2010. 

Mark is the author of numerous books, including Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy (Bloomsbury), Theorising Democide: Why and How Democracies Fail (Palgrave), Democracy Against Itself: Sustaining an Unsustainable Idea (Edinburgh), and Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation: Combatting Civic Deficit? (Rowman & Littlefield).

He is currently working two book projects: (1) Political Meritocracy and Populism: Cure or Curse? for Routledge (with Benjamin Moffitt and Octavia Bryant) and (2) How Local Governments Govern Culture War Conflicts for Cambridge (with Rachel Busbridge). 

He is also the co-founder and editor of the international journal, Democratic Theory: An Interdisciplinary Journal, which is published and distributed by Berghahn and co-editor of Palgrave's Theories, Concepts and Practices of Democracy series. 

 

Books

Chou, Mark and Rachel Busbridge, How Local Governments Govern Culture War Conflicts (under contract with Cambridge University Press).

Chou, Mark, Benjamin Moffitt, and Octavia Bryant, Political Meritocracy and Populism: Cure or Curse? (Abingdon: Routledge, 2019).

Chou, Mark, Jean-Paul Gagnon, Catherine Hartung, and Lesley Pruitt, Young People, Citizenship and Political Participation: Combatting Civic Deficit? (London: Rowman & Littlefield International, 2017).

Chou, Mark, Democracy Against Itself: Sustaining an Unsustainable Idea (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2014).

Chou, Mark, Theorising Democide: Why and How Democracies Fail (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013).

Chou, Mark, Greek Tragedy and Contemporary Democracy (New York and London: Bloomsbury, 2012/2014).

 

Journal Articles

Chou, Mark and Rachel Busbridge, "Culture Wars, Local Government, and the Australia Day Controversy: Insights from Urban Politics Research," Urban Policy and Research (Vol.37, No.3, 2019).

Chou, Mark, "Different Levels of Government, Different Levels of Political Competence?," PS: Political Science and Politics (Vol.52, No.2, 2019).

Chou, Mark, "Combatting Voter Ignorance: A Vertical Model of Epistocratic Voting," Policy Studies (Vol.38, No.6, 2017).

Chou, Mark, Chengxin Pan and Avery Poole, "The Threat of Autocracy Diffusion in Consolidated Democracies? The Case of China, Singapore and Australia," Contemporary Politics (Vol.23, No.2, 2017).

Chou, Mark, "Have the Black Knights Arisen? China's and Russia's Support of Autocratic Regimes," Democratization (Vo.24, No.1, 2017).

Chou, Mark, Roland Bleiker and Nilanjana Premaratna, "Elections as Theater," PS: Political Science and Politics (Vol.49, No.1, 2016).

Chou, Mark, "The Rise of China and the Decline of Democracy in Australia?," Australian Journal of International Affairs (Vol.69, No.6, 2015).

Chou, Mark, "Democracy's Story ...Two Hundred and Fifty Years On," Australian Journal of Political Science (Vol.50, No.2, 2015).

Chou, Mark. "Projections of China's Normative Soft Power," Australian Journal of International Affairs (Vol.69, No.1, 2015).

Chou, Mark, "From Crisis to Crisis: Democracy, Crisis and the Occupy Movement," Political Studies Review (Vol.13, No.1, 2015).

Chou, Mark, "Democrats against Democracy," Cultural Politics (Vol.10, No.2, 2014).

Chou, Mark, "Democracy's not for me: the Lowy Institute Polls on Gen Y and Democracy," Australian Journal of Political Science (Vol.48, No.4, 2013).

Chou, Mark, "Sowing the Seeds of its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide in the Weimar Republic and Beyond," Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory (Vol.133, 2012).

Chou, Mark, "Morgenthau, the Tragic: on tragedy and the transition from Scientific Man to Politics Among Nations," Telos: A Quarterly of Critical Thought (Vol.157, 2011).

Chou, Mark, "When Democracies Fail," Political Studies Review (Vol.9, No.3, 2011).

Chou, Mark and Roland Bleiker, "Dramatizing War: George Packer and the Democratic Potential of Verbatim Theater," New Political Science (Vol.32, No.4, 2010), Special Issue on Art After Empire: Creating the New Political Economy of a New Democracy.

Chou, Mark, "Democracy in an Age of Tragedy: Democracy, Tragedy and Paradox," Critical Horizons: A Journal of Philosophy and Social Theory (Vol.11, No.2, 2010).

Chou, Mark and Roland Bleiker, "The Symbiosis of Democracy and Tragedy: Lost Lessons from Ancient Greece," Millennium: Journal of International Studies (Vol.37, No.3, 2009), Special Issue on Interrogating Democracy in International Relations.

 

Book Chapters

Chou, Mark, "Democracy" in Roland Bleiker (ed.), Visual Global Politics (London: Routledge, 2018).

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "Dramatic Rationalities: A Citizen's Guide to Watching Electoral Theater in the Age of Donald Trump" in Mari Fitzduff (ed.), Why Irrational Politics Appeals: Understanding the Allure of Trump (Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2017). 

Chou, Mark and Avery Poole, "Theories of World Affairs" in Emilian Kavalski (ed.), Encounters with Global Affairs: An Introduction to International Relations (Farnham: Ashgate Publishing, 2015).

Chou, Mark and Roland Bleiker, "Betrayed by Democracy: Verbatim Theater as Prefigurative Politics" in Nancy Love and Mark Mattern (eds.), Doing Democracy: Activist Art and Cultural Politics (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2013).

Bleiker, Roland and Mark Chou, "Nietzsche's Style: On Language, Knowledge and Power in International Relations" in Cerwyn Moore and Chris Farrands (eds.), International Relations Theory and Philosophy: Interpretative Dialogues (London: Routledge, 2010).

 

Working Papers, Op-Eds and Other Publications

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "The drama of politics: Enacting Trump's presidential self," ABC Religion & Ethics, 9 January 2017, http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2017/01/09/4601757.htm.

Chou, Mark, "Getting voters to focus on what they actually know about," Governing, 6 December 2016, http://www.governing.com/gov-institute/voices/col-democracy-engage-knowledgeable-voters-local-elections.html.

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "Britain's 'Bregret' offers timely lessons for Australian voters this weekend," The Conversation, 30 June 2016, https://theconversation.com/britains-bregret-offers-timely-lessons-for-australian-voters-this-weekend-61806 (republished by the NZ Herald and Yahoo News).

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "Had British leaders refused to sacralise the 'will of the people'...," openDemocracy, 29 June 2016, https://www.opendemocracy.net/mark-chou-michael-ondaatje/our-350-on-brexit-had-british-political-leaders-refused-to-sacralise-will.

Chou, Mark, Roland Bleiker and Nilanjana Premaratna, "If Trump is just 'playing a part', then here's how to understand his brand of theater," Washington Post, 9 June 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/06/09/these-two-theatrical-devices-give-away-trumps-performance/.

Chou, Mark, "Why the primaries are not the best way to choose a candidate," Huffington Post, 3 May 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-chou/primaries-candidate-us-election_b_9828666.html?utm_hp_ref=world. 

Chou, Mark, "Donald Trump: reality television's candidate," Truthout, 30 March 2016, http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/35433-donald-trump-reality-television-s-candidate.

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "Trump's economic war on China will backfire," The Australian Financial Review, 2 March 2016, http://www.afr.com/opinion/super-tuesday-2016-donald-trumps-disastrous-china-reform-plans-20160302-gn875o. 

Ondaatje, Michael and Mark Chou, "Marco Rubio: The last man standing between Donald Trump and the nomination," Sydney Morning Herald, 24 February 2016, http://www.smh.com.au/comment/marco-rubio-the-last-man-standing-between-donald-trump-and-the-nomination-20160224-gn2gip.html.

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "You're fired: Donald Trump shows rivals how it's done in entertainment politics," The Conversation, 9 February 2016, https://theconversation.com/youre-fired-donald-trump-shows-rivals-how-its-done-in-entertainment-politics-54323 (Translated and published on Newsweek Japan).

Chou, Mark, "Our democracy can learn from China's meritocracy," The Conversation, 6 January 2016, https://theconversation.com/our-democracy-can-learn-from-chinas-meritocracy-51471.

Chou, Mark and Octavia Bryant, "Will China promote autocracy along its New Silk Road?," Carnegie Ethics Online, 14 December 2015, http://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/ethics_online/0112.

Chou, Mark, "How universities play moneyball," Chronicle Vitae, 4 December 2015, https://chroniclevitae.com/news/1215-how-universities-play-moneyball.

Ondaatje, Michael and Mark Chou, "The  'N' word: Mark Latham goes back in time to join Eric Abetz in a different century," New Matilda, 3 November 2015, https://newmatilda.com/2015/11/03/the-n-word-mark-latham-goes-back-in-time-to-join-eric-abetz-in-a-different-century/.

Chou, Mark, Catherine Hartung and Jean-Paul Gagnon, "Shorten's plan to lower the voting age could help increase political engagement," The Conversation, 2 November 2015, https://theconversation.com/shortens-plan-to-lower-the-voting-age-could-help-increase-political-engagement-50059.

Chou, Mark, "The South China Sea disputes and the 21^st century Maritime Silk Road," Asialink Echo, 29 October 2015, http://asialinkecho.org/2015/10/the-south-china-sea-disputes-and-the-21st-century-maritime-silk-road/.

Chou, Mark and Michael Ondaatje, "The rise of the young professor," Chronicle Vitae, 27 October 2015, https://chroniclevitae.com/news/1174-the-rise-of-the-young-professor.

Chou, Mark, "Competing visions for the Asia-Pacific could yet complement each other," The Conversation, 26 October 2015, https://theconversation.com/competing-visions-for-the-asia-pacific-could-yet-complement-each-other-49214.

Gagnon, Jean-Paul, Anthea McCarthy-Jones and Mark Chou, "Kicking pacifism: Japan's pivot to militarism defies popular will," The Conversation, 6 October 2015, https://theconversation.com/kicking-pacifism-japans-pivot-to-militarism-defies-popular-will-47847.

Gagnon, Jean-Paul, Mark Chou and Octavia Bryant, "Democracy needs heroes to champion the cause," The Conversation, 27 July 2015, https://theconversation.com/democracy-needs-heroes-to-champion-the-cause-42752. 

Chou, Mark, Jean-Paul Gagnon and Nick Osbaldiston, "The odds are still not in your favor," Chronicle Vitae, 23 October 2014, https://chroniclevitae.com/news/765-the-odds-are-still-not-in-your-favor.

Gagnon, Jean-Paul and Mark Chou, "Bringing the free market down to earth is a moral question," The Conversation, 1 October 2014, https://theconversation.com/bringing-the-free-market-down-to-earth-is-a-moral-question-30727.

Gagnon, Jean-Paul and Mark Chou, "The 'will of the people'? It's the bastardisation of democracy," The Conversation, 8 September 2014, https://theconversation.com/the-will-of-the-people-its-the-bastardisation-of-democracy-29540. 

Chou, Mark, "Crisis is not intrinsically problematic," Understanding Politics Blog Series, The Crick Centre, 1 September 2014, http://www.crickcentre.org/blog/crisis-is-not-intrinsically-problematic/ .

Chou, Mark, Jean-Paul Gagnon and Nicholas Osbaldiston, "An ECR's Guide to Escaping the 'Sessional' Trap," New Matilda, 28 August 2014, https://newmatilda.com/2014/08/28/ecrs-guide-escaping-sessional-trap.

Chou, Mark and Jean-Paul Gagnon, "Democracy No Longer on the Nation's Radar," New Matilda, 29 June 2014, https://newmatilda.com/2014/06/29/democracy-no-longer-nations-radar.

Gagnon, Jean-Paul and Mark Chou, "Don't like the budget? Your options aren't limited to voting," Indepdendent Australia, 30 May 2014, http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/dont-like-the-budget-your-options-arent-limited-to-voting,6527. 

Gagnon, Jean-Paul, Mark Chou and Tezcan Gumus, "Push to curb activists may add to sweatshop workers' strugle," The Conversation, 30 April 2014, https://theconversation.com/push-to-curb-activists-may-add-to-sweatshop-workers-struggle-25903

Gagnon, Jean-Paul, Mark Chou and Tezcan Gumus, "Women keep democracy's heart beating in Mugabe's Zimbabwe," The Conversation, 4 April 2014, https://theconversation.com/women-keep-democracys-heart-beating-in-mugabes-zimbabwe-25024

Chou, Mark, "Democracy and Tragedy," Philosophy Now (Vol.94, 2013), http://philosophynow.org/issues/94/Democracy_and_Tragedy.  

Chou, Mark, "Addressing Democide and its Implications for Politics," Interview at Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis, Political Reflection (Vol.3, No.3, 2012), http://cesran.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1475%3Aan-interview-with-dr-mark-chou-addressing-democide-and-its-implications-for-politics&catid=250%3Ainterviews&Itemid=267&lang=en.

Chou, Mark, "China's new authoritarianism," e-International Relations, 22 July 2011, http://www.e-ir.info/?p=10875.

Chou, Mark,"China's incremental democracy," Eureka Street, 27 January 2011, http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=24817.

Chou, Mark, "Philosophy of Food," Eureka Street (Vol.20, No.21, 2010), http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=21588.

Chou, Mark, "When the Towers Fell: Mourning and Nostalgia after 9/11 in HBO's The Wire," e-International Relations, 25 May 2010, http://www.e-ir.info/?p=4217.

Chou, Mark, "Straight Outta The Tour Bus," New Matilda, 19 March 2010, http://newmatilda.com/2010/03/19/straight-outta-tour-bus.

Chou, Mark, "Your Ticket to Violence and Squalor," truthout, 1 February 2010, http://www.truth-out.org/your-ticket-violence-and-squalor56581. 

 

Conference and Seminar Papers

Chou, Mark, "Democrats against Democracy," Crisis of Democracy: Which crisis, which democracy? Workshop, 13-14 March 2014, University of Canberra.

Chou, Mark, "Post-National 'Democide' and the Occupy Movement," Democracy in Times of Crisis Conference, 14-15 November 2013, Charles University of Prague.

Chou, Mark, "Sowing the Seeds of Its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide," The Australian Political Science Association Conference, 24-26 September 2012, The University of Tasmania.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoSowing the Seeds of its Own Destruction: Democracy and Democide in the Weimar Republic,&rdquo POLSIS Research Seminar Series, 27 July 2012, The University of Queensland (By invitation).

Chou, Mark, &ldquoDemocracy and Humane Authority: Ancient Chinese Thought for a Modern Chinese Power,&rdquo The Oceanic Conference of International Studies, 18-20 July 2012, The University of Sydney. Panel Convenor, &ldquoAsia-Pacific Theorisations of World Politics.&rdquo

Chou, Mark, &ldquoNew Authoritarianism Meets Inverted Totalitarianism,&rdquo The Australian Political Science Association Conference, 26-28 September 2011, The Australian National University.

Chou, Mark, &ldquo&lsquoWe like them bitches on the chessboard&rsquo: Tragedy, Politics and The Wire,&rdquo The World International Studies Conference, 17-20 August 2011, The University of Porto.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoWhen the Towers Fell: Mourning and Nostalgia after 9/11 in HBO&rsquos The Wire,&rdquo The Fourth Conference of the International Society for Cultural History, &ldquoCultures of Violence and Conflict&rdquo, 3-6 August 2011, The University of Oslo.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoPostmodern Dramaturgy, Premodern Drama: The Global Resurgence of Greek Tragedy Today,&rdquo The Inaugural Queensland Greek History Conference, &ldquoCultural History of the Greeks,&rdquo 22-23 October 2010, The University of Queensland.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoDramatizing War: George Packer and the Democratic Potential of Verbatim Theater,&rdquo Geopolitics and Visuality: The Pictorial Economy of Atrocity, Famine and War Workshop, 19-23 July 2010, The University of Queensland.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoTragedy and the Demise of American Empire in The Wire,&rdquo The Oceanic Conference of International Studies, 30 June &ndash 2 July 2010, The University of Auckland. Panel Convenor, &ldquoCulture, Representation and World Politics.&rdquo

Chou, Mark, &ldquoJust another suicide?,&rdquo The Brisbane Writers Festival, &ldquoBanking in Japan is Suicide&rdquo, 9-13 September 2009, Brisbane, Australia (By invitation).

Chou, Mark, &ldquoAntigone in Belfast: Staging Violence, Conflict and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland,&rdquo The Second Conference of the International Society for Cultural History, &ldquoCultures of Violence and Conflict&rdquo, 20-23 July 2009, The University of Queensland. Panel Convenor, &ldquoViolent Cultures in Popular and High Culture.&rdquo

Chou, Mark, &ldquoThe Multivocal Form of Tragedy in International Relations,&rdquo Workshop on Alternative Methodologies for International Relations, 14 April 2009, The School of Political Science and International Studies, The University of Queensland. 

Chou, Mark, &ldquoFrom Page to Stage: what emerges &lsquoin between&rsquo politics and art in George Packer&rsquos Betrayed,&rdquo Southern American Studies Association Biennial Conference, &ldquoBeginnings and Renewals: Locating American Studies&rdquo, 12-14 February 2009, George Mason University.

Chou, Mark and Roland Bleiker, &ldquoDemocracy and Tragedy: Lessons from Ancient Greece for Today&rsquos Global Age,&rdquo The Annual Conference of Millennium: Journal of International Studies, &ldquoInterrogating Democracy in International Relations&rdquo, 25-26 October 2008, The London School of Economics.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoBeing as Chaos in International Relations: Lessons from Ancient Athenian Tragedy,&rdquo The Oceanic Conference of International Studies, 2-4 July 2008, The University of Queensland.

Chou, Mark, &ldquoDemocracy and Tragedy in Ancient Athens,&rdquo New Horizons in Political Philosophy, The Australian Postgraduate Conference in Political Philosophy, 6-7 December 2007, The Australian National University.

Democratic theory

International relations theory (particularly post-structuralist and aesthetic approaches)

Cultural politics (particularly contemporary political theatre)

Greek tragedy and politics

Chinese theories of international relations

Democracy and democratisation in China

Local government and culture wars

 

Mark will be LIC of 2 units in 2016:

POLS309   World Politics and Justice (Semester 1)

POLS140   The Global Citizen (Semester 2)

 

Association of Political Theory (APT).

Australian Political Science Association (APSA).

International Studies Association (ISA).

International Society for Cultural History (ISCH).

The Australian Sociological Association (TASA).