Achieving accountable government
The UK’s political parties do matter when it comes to determining immigration policy
Research on the impact of parties on public policy, and on immigration policy in particular, often finds limited evidence of partisan influence. Tim Bale and James Hampshire show that partisan influence depends not only on coalition dynamics, but how these dynamics interact with interdepartmental conflicts and lobbying by organised interests influence. Similar PostsSnap election a win-win for […]
Countries with less Government interference in the media have higher levels of voter knowledge
A media free from Government interference is one of the key components of a democratic society, with state interference in what is and isn’t printed and broadcast used to exemplify the lack of freedoms enjoyed by many countries. Martijn Schoonvelde argues that it is also a pre-requisite for greater understanding of the political and democratic systems. Similar […]
A more systematic approach to relations between the devolved administrations and the UK government is required
Alan Trench calls for a more systematic approach to intergovernmental relations between the devolved and UK governments. He argues that leaving matters to be handled in ad hoc, reactive, unstructured way is no longer an option. Similar PostsWestminster must choose between leaving the EU and retaining the UKWhat party competition in England will look like after […]
The threat of revolution can play a pivotal role in spurring democratisation
Revolution itself brings seismic political changes to whichever country it takes place in. But what of the threat of revolution? The theory that it does is well-established, and Toke S. Aidt, Gabriel Leon, Raphael Franck, Peter S. Jensen provide further evidence in support of the claim here here. Similar PostsBook Review: Democracy in Retreat: The Revolt of […]
Should a codified UK constitution include reform or attempt to describe current arrangements?
Most advocates of constitutional reform agree on the basic desirability of a written constitution, but to what end? Should it seek to codify our existing political and constitutional arrangements, or put in place a new settlement? Here, Richard Gordon tackles this question, looking at the competing viewpoints that surround the issue. Similar PostsInterview: Richard Gordon on […]
Why the European Parliament has a better gender balance than national parliaments
Across Europe there is a wide variation in the percentage of female representatives in national parliaments, with the gender balance typically skewed toward male representatives. But what can the European Parliament tell us about mechanisms for ensuring a better gender balance? Jessica Fortin-Rittberger and Berthold Rittberger write that there is a clear ‘gender gap’ between […]
EU elites will regret their self-serving dismissals of the demand for genuine popular control
Piketty and Habermas argue that the EU and the eurozone can be democratized by strengthening electoral-representative institutions. Such powers would only make popular control over EU political decisions even weaker than it already is, argue Lorenzo del Savio and Mateo Mameli in this essay. Similar PostsAnti-politics and the 1%
Sanctions can be counter-productive in instigating democratic reform in authoritarian regimes
International sanctions are one of the most commonly used tools to instigate democratisation in the post-Cold War era. However, despite long-term sanction pressure from the West, non-democratic rule has proven to be extremely persistent. Based on new research from 1990 to 2011, Julia Grauvogel and Christian von Soest provide new insights for the research on sanctions and on […]
If the debates do not go ahead, it will be the fault of self-interest on the part of the main parties and the broadcasters
Whether there will be debates this year in advance of the 2015 General Election is open to question, with partisan and corporate self-interest threatening to overwhelm the process by which inclusion in the debate is governed. Nicholas Allen argues that this brinksmanship threatens the debates taking place not only in a satisfactory manner, but going ahead […]
Finally recognising the value of quangos? The Coalition Government and a move beyond the ‘Bonfire of the Quangos’
The current Coalition government made a strong effort early in its existence to reduce the number of public bodies – or ‘quangos’ – in operation. Critics alleged that this was for ideological reasons and may prove to be counter-productive. Kate Dommett discusses the current government’s record, arguing that whilst on the surface there appears to be evidence of […]
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