Author Archive: Democratic Audit UK
Justifications for the Investigatory Powers Bill are based on a very specific interpretation of freedom
The Investigatory Powers Bill, currently progressing through the Commons, has been defended on the basis that only those with something to hide have anything to fear from the extended surveillance powers. But Nat Rutherford writes that this argument is based on a minimal liberal understanding of freedom, and if we take a broader view, the […]
Southern Powerhouse: A chaotic process endangers combined authority deals
It may be Budget day before we learn whether any part of central southern England will reach an agreement with the government on a ‘devolution deal’. But the chaotic process of recent months may have damaged the credibility of what is, at its heart, a very good idea, explains John Denham. Similar PostsAssessing England’s metro-mayors: […]
The Budget will give clues as to how far English devolution marks a radical change for local government
For all the focus on Europe, it could be devolution that is the critical constitutional change of our era. Ahead of tomorrow’s Budget announcement, Andrew Walker looks in depth at the prospects for radical change in local government. Similar PostsAssessing England’s metro-mayors: a mixed pictureSouthern Powerhouse: A chaotic process endangers combined authority dealsThe territorial politics of coronavirus: is […]
Electoral democracy has its weaknesses, but elections are not ruining democracy
David Van Reybrouck recently published an essay declaring that electoral democracy is killing democracy and calling for the whole syste, of using elections to select leaders needs to be overhauled. In this post, John Keane acknowledges that Van Reybrouck makes some important points, but argues that his proposals in favour of sortition democracy suffer significant shortcomings. Furthermore, Keane […]
The Long Read: How the Polls and the Media Delivered Cameron’s Unexpected Victory by Ron Johnston
The Long Read: How the Polls and the Media Delivered Cameron’s Unexpected Victory As reports into why Labour lost the 2015 British general election and why the opinion polls got the result so wrong emerge, two recently published books present very different academic analyses of the run-up to that contest and its outcome. Ron Johnston […]
If devolution in England is to be effective the government needs to address the lack of process
The PSA recently published a new report that highlights a number of problems with associated with the current approach to devolution to England’s cities, which is based almost exclusively on informal governance. Ed Cox writes that, far from blaming local areas alone for the apparent disintegration of so many current negotiations, the government must take […]
How future UK European referendums might happen
Further referendums on Britain’s European question could happen whatever the result of June’s vote. In a recent report for the Federal Trust Tim Oliver sets out how the forthcoming referendum will not settle the European question and mapped out the different ways in which future referendums might come to pass. Similar PostsCan we really not […]
Disruptive or beneficial? Freedom of information in the UK
On 1 March, to some surprise, the Burns Commission concluded that the Freedom of Information Act was ‘generally working well’. Ben Worthy and Robert Hazell explain how the Commission came to this unexpected result and, drawing on the results three major research projects, argue that since it came into force in 2005 FOI has achieved its […]
Incorrect assumptions about bill committees can damage perceptions of the policy influencing power of Parliament
Bill committees play a crucial role in the scrutiny of government legislation, yet they have traditionally been overlooked by academics and journalists in favour of the more newsworthy aspects of parliamentary scrutiny. In this article, Louise Thompson challenges the myths about bill committees that have developed from the lack of interest. Similar PostsGender diversity among […]
The 2016 election is seeing the return of the ‘Paranoid Style’ in American politics
The 2016 primary season has seen Donald Trump gain traction with Republican voters through nativist rhetoric. While many see Trump’s extremist campaigning as a new low in American political discourse, Ron Pruessen, using the work of Richard Hofstadter, reminds us that such apocalyptic visions from politicians are really nothing new. He argues that crises over […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.