Author Archive: Democratic Audit UK
Democracy Matters: Why we need ‘A Better Referendum’
Matthew Flinders argues that the EU referendum debate has been divisive and struggled to move beyond over-simplistic economic debates and a politics of pessimism. He writes that making this choice in an increasingly uncertain world demands a more creative and supported approach to public engagement and the provision of information than has so far been apparent, and points […]
The tax credit row highlighted a fundamental imbalance in our political system: here’s one way to redress it
The events leading to the Strathclyde Review highlighted a fundamental problem with our democratic system, namely that it is currently skewed too far in favour of representation, with little to ensure individual government actions are aligned with public’s preferences, writes Harry Farmer. He argues if this is to change, reform of the House of Lords […]
Staying loyal or leaving the party? How open and extrovert personality traits help explain vote switching
Why are some citizens more likely to change their vote choice? Bert Bakker, Robert Klemmensen, Asbjørn Sonne Nørgaard and Gijs Schumacher show that vote switching is associated with citizen’s personality traits. Looking at UK and Denmark, they find that openness helps explain vote switching in both countries. In Denmark having a more extrovert personality is associated with party loyalty, but this […]
“Some of the criticisms betray a misunderstanding of the UK model” – Lord Bew responds to Alan Doig’s critique of the Committee on Standards in Public Life
Lord Bew, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life responds to Professor Doig’s blogs about its remit and work. Lord Bew argues that as an independent advisory body in an adversarial Parliamentary democracy, it must rely on evidence and analysis to make the case and push for high standards in public life. Similar […]
Swamped by facts, voters are still going into the EU referendum with an information deficit
The best feature of referendums can be the ability to expand public knowledge and bring new groups or issues into the public sphere. But Andrew Glencross writes there is a very real danger that the current debate is not enhancing citizens’ understanding of the costs and constraints of EU membership. He argues if this referendum is to have […]
Book Review: Uninformed: Why People Know So Little About Politics and What We Can Do About It by Arthur Lupia
Are citizens fundamentally uninformed – or even misinformed – when it comes to questions of politics and government? In Uninformed: Why People Knows So Little About Politics and What We Can Do About It, Arthur Lupia tackles the issue of political ignorance by arguing that rather than simply seeking to provide greater information to the […]
The 2016 Queen’s Speech and the Constitution
Mark Elliott looks in detail at the at the constitutional proposals in the latest Queen’s Speech. He writes that although they have the potential to be highly significant it is unclear whether they will amount to much as the Government’s thinking appears to be underdeveloped. Similar PostsTheresa May’s case for withdrawal from the ECHR: Politically […]
Nationalist parties face new challenges after the ‘Super Thursday’ elections
The various nationalist parties experienced mixed fortunes in the UK elections on 5 May, and all are now operating in a different political climate. Dr Kenneth Bunker assesses what challenges lie ahead for the different parties. Similar PostsEuropean elections 2019: what will happen in Scotland?European Parliament elections 2019: what will happen in Wales?How the major […]
What next for the Greens? The Green Party after Natalie Bennett
Natalie Bennett recently announced that she will not seek re-election for a third term as leader of the Green Party. James Dennison evaluates Bennett’s leadership, as well as the impact that the negative press coverage she received had on the party. Thanks to the party’s growing membership under her leadership – having attracted voters from […]
Why voters do not (always) punish government parties for corruption
Fighting corruption is a vital aspect of good governance. Yet, it is also a highly persistent phenomenon, indicating that tackling corruption is not always at the top of incumbent’s agenda. One way to solve this problem is to engage in corruption performance voting; that is, to use elections to punish incumbents for high levels of […]
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