Book Review | Gender and the Radical and Extreme Right: Mechanisms of Transmission and the Role of Educational Interventions edited by Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Hilary Pilkington
By 11/05/2019 0 Comments Read More →

Book Review | Gender and the Radical and Extreme Right: Mechanisms of Transmission and the Role of Educational Interventions edited by Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Hilary Pilkington

n Gender and the Radical and Extreme Right: Mechanisms of Transmission and the Role of Educational Interventions, editors Cynthia Miller-Idriss and Hilary Pilkington bring together contributors to offer an interdisciplinary perspective on an often overlooked topic: the intersections between the radical and extreme right, education and gender. This volume will be invaluable in present and future efforts to better understand the role that women play in these movements, write Katherine Williams.

Posted in: Book reviews
The flawed assumption of the centrist paradox and support for democracy
By 10/05/2019 0 Comments Read More →

The flawed assumption of the centrist paradox and support for democracy

The so called ‘centrist paradox’ refers to the idea, proposed by David Adler, that an observed decline in support for democracy across the world has occurred primarily among centrist voters, rather than those who lie at the extremes of the policy spectrum. Elli Palaiologou argues that this theory is based on a flawed assumption that all individuals located between the left and right can be regarded as ‘centrist’. In reality, this ‘centrist’ group contains a large number of individuals who are simply less willing to take strong political positions, including on the value of democracy.

Posted in: Democratic threats, Informing and engaging citizens
The North of Tyne mayoral election: can a ‘mini metro-mayor’ make a difference?
By 08/05/2019 2 Comments Read More →

The North of Tyne mayoral election: can a ‘mini metro-mayor’ make a difference?

The new mayor for the North of Tyne Combined Authority, Jamie Driscoll, starts his mandate this week. Arianna Giovannini asks whether, with a limited budget, few powers and heading a combined authority with an unusual geography, Driscoll can deliver on his radical policy agenda.

Posted in: May 2019 local elections
Electoral reform: the fine print matters
By 07/05/2019 0 Comments Read More →

Electoral reform: the fine print matters

How and when does a dominant party reform the electoral system? And how do they shape the details of that reform? In new research on the case of Swiss cantons, André Walter and Patrick Emmenegger find that self-interest by a dominant party can be crucial to determining how proportional the new system actually is.

Posted in: Elections and electoral systems
Local elections 2019: gone missing – 500 councillors
By 02/05/2019 1 Comments Read More →

Local elections 2019: gone missing – 500 councillors

Local elections are taking place across much of England today, 2 May. However, as Chris Game, explains, the number of local councillors has been reduced in many places, in a reorganisation process that lacks democratic accountability.

Posted in: May 2019 local elections
Strategic voting in the 2015 general election: why Liberal Democrats didn’t vote for their own party
By 01/05/2019 1 Comments Read More →

Strategic voting in the 2015 general election: why Liberal Democrats didn’t vote for their own party

When do people not vote for their preferred party? Isaac Hale finds that in 2015, Liberal Democrat supporters abandoned the party when they thought it had no chance of winning a seat and a tactical vote could affect the outcome in their constituencies. This shows how in a first-past-the-post electoral system smaller parties can be caught in a vicious cycle of low expectations and strategic voting by their supporters.

Posted in: Elections and electoral systems, Lib Dems
Local elections 2019: the directly elected mayoral contests
By 30/04/2019 0 Comments Read More →

Local elections 2019: the directly elected mayoral contests

On Thursday, 2 May, local government elections are being held across England. At the same time, many voters will also be able to vote for a directly elected mayor to lead their council or metropolitan area. Elections for these mayoralties use the supplementary vote electoral system. The Democratic Audit team explains how these elections work, what will be on your ballot paper, and what we know about candidates’ prospects in each area.

Posted in: May 2019 local elections
Three questions ahead of Northern Ireland’s local elections 2019
By 29/04/2019 0 Comments Read More →

Three questions ahead of Northern Ireland’s local elections 2019

Northern Ireland votes in local council elections on Thursday, 2 May. These elections take place while the Northern Ireland Assembly remains dormant, the Brexit process raises seemingly unresolvable questions about the Irish border, and in the aftermath of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. Jamie Pow previews the elections and outlines some key questions they highlight for Northern Irish politics.

Posted in: Building sub-national government, May 2019 local elections, Northern Ireland
When will the government respond to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report on UK lethal drone strikes in Syria?
By 26/04/2019 1 Comments Read More →

When will the government respond to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report on UK lethal drone strikes in Syria?

It is two years since the Intelligence and Security Committee published its report into UK lethal drone strikes in Syria. Despite a commitment to ‘respond substantively to any report by the ISC within 60 days’ the government has yet to produce a detailed reply to this report. Andrew Defty examines the government’s record in responding to ISC reports and the changing nature of its commitment to doing so.

Posted in: Parliament
Do electoral results come as a surprise because our empirical models are limited?
By 25/04/2019 0 Comments Read More →

Do electoral results come as a surprise because our empirical models are limited?

Recent elections in many European countries have seemed less predictable, as party systems fragment and new parties challenge the established ones on a range of issues. Looking at the recent case of Finland, Zhen Im, Hanna Wass, Heikki Hiilamo and Timo Kauppinen argue that political scientists need to develop new models for mapping multiple, changing issues for electoral competition.

Posted in: Elections and electoral systems, political parties
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