Achieving accountable government
Regulators are frequently the source of castigation, but they are bound by practical realities
Ed Miliband’s proposals to strengthen OfGem and OfCom – the state regulators of the energy and broadcast sectors – has put the role of democratic regulation in a market economy in the spotlight. Here Conall Bolger argues that regulators have a difficult role and that any discussion of alternatives to the current arrangements must take into […]
Politicians seeking election this year must communicate more effectively with potential voters than they did in 2010
Indifference – or active hostility – to the democratic process is one of the defining issues of our time, and with the 2015 General Election just around the corner, the need for politicians to engage with voters is high. Rosalynd Southern and Kingsley Purdam argue that explain that – judging by the last General Election – many of […]
The future of the BBC should not be left to the House of Commons’ Media, Culture and Sport committee
Steven Barnett of the University of Westminster explains why a recent report from the Commons Select on Culture, Media and Sport on the future of the BBC is so fundamentally flawed and that, if implemented, the ideas it contains would do immeasurable long-term damage to the BBC’s national and international reputation. Similar PostsBedding down, treading water and taking two steps […]
Squatters and caretakers: why the current Cabinet Manual guidance on post-election protocol is insufficient
In the second of a short series of posts on the Constitution Unit blog about government formation after the election, Robert Hazell discusses the weaknesses of the Cabinet Manual in terms of offering guidance on role of the incumbent PM and the caretaker convention. Similar PostsThe House of Lords leadership row highlights the weaknesses in both Number […]
National parliaments focus too much on subsidiarity and not enough on the actual content of EU proposals
The Lisbon Treaty granted national parliaments competences in EU affairs as one of the remedies to the alleged “democratic deficit”. The new powers not only redefined domestic parliamentary procedures but also affected the relationship between MPs, parliamentary staff and committees dealing with EU affairs. However in practice, argues Alexander Strelkov in a recent article, the effect has […]
Book Review: The European Council and the Council: New Intergovernmentalism and Institutional Change by Uwe Puetter
Uwe Puetter offers a thorough account of Council decision-making by covering two decades of European integration from the late 1990s until the years after the Lisbon Treaty. Recommended to readers with a high the level of pre-existing knowledge about EU governance, writes Inez von Weitershausen. The European Council and the Council: New Intergovernmentalism and Institutional Change. Uwe […]
Civil servants are taking on an increasingly public role, allowing for perceptions of partisanship to emerge
Civil service leaders are appearing publicly more often, in more places, and to a wider range of audiences, than ever before. Does it matter if civil service leaders become more public figures than they have previously? Dennis Grube argues that the reason these changes matter is because the traditional anonymity of civil servants is linked in important ways […]
Fierce but short-lived: How does economic crisis affect political participation?
The Great Recession that hit Europe in 2008 led to the loss of millions of jobs and soaring levels of unemployment. In a recent study, Anna Kern, Sofie Marien and Marc Hooghe investigate whether the recent crisis depresses or boosts levels of political participation in Europe. They find that economic growth is positively associated with elite […]
Understanding the institutional roots of persistent policy problems in the UK
The UK is facing a number of structural weaknesses that threaten future growth and productivity. Tackling those structural weaknesses requires looking at the institutions, processes and incentives that underpin the formulation of policy, writes Miguel Coelho. His research finds that the performance of the UK Westminster model is, in some respects and compared to some other countries, disappointing, and […]
Contrary to popular opinion, business actors are less successful than citizen groups at lobbying EU legislators
How powerful are business interests in lobbying for changes to EU legislative proposals? Andreas Dür, Patrick Bernhagen and David Marshall present findings from an analysis of 70 legislative proposals introduced by the European Commission between 2008 and 2010. They note that contrary to popular opinion, business actors proved far less successful than citizen groups at […]
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