In this issue, the last of volume 109, we are pleased to present a mix of articles that touch upon a variety of topics. These include the question of whether democratic leadership is possible, how one goes about bridging the divide between quantitative and qualitative research, how gender equality is conceptualized by the United Nations, whether remittances allow states to provide less in terms of social spending to their constituents, and the effects of persistent terrorism on levels of tolerance. As always, we try to illustrate in this volume the variety of research themes and methodologies that are prevalent in our discipline.