Achieving accountable government
Book Review: Agenda Setting, Policies, and Political Systems: A Comparative Approach, edited by Christoffer Green-Pedersen and Stefaan Walgrave
Before making significant policy decisions, political actors and parties must first craft an agenda designed to place certain issues at the center of political attention. This agenda-setting approach comes under the spotlight in this new collection, with case studies from across Europe and the rest of the world. Sophie Lecheler finds that readers are offered a number of […]
The widespread belief that politics is broken should not be allowed to go unchallenged
That politics is broken and rotten in the UK may well be the defining belief of our time. But is it broken at Westminster? Tony Wright disagrees with the pervasive assessment, writing that, though the system does require a range of political reforms, reform requires a realistic understanding of what is wrong; and a determination to work to put […]
As Scotland decides its future, lie back and think of England
England is unique amongst the constituent nations of the United Kingdom in being directly governed from Whitehall and Westminster, with Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland all enjoying differing degrees of autonomy over their own affairs. Recent polling has showed that the English people are broadly in favour greater powers for England and Eunice Goes argues that […]
Coalition governments which are formed in advance of elections have better survival prospects
The UK has been governed by a Coalition, with relative stability, since the 2010 General Election when a Hung Parliament saw the Conservatives appeal to the Liberal Democrats for their help in forming a majority government. But while the UK has been relatively stable during this period, coalition governments which are formed in advance of […]
Scotland and Catalonia would face very real challenges in making a seamless transition to EU membership after independence
Independence campaigners in both Scotland and Catalonia have advocated retaining their EU membership post-independence. Merijn Chamon and Guillaume Van der Loo assess the legal basis on which subnational entities could maintain EU membership after declaring independence. They write that while the EU treaties make no explicit reference to this situation, it would be difficult for a seamless transition to […]
Five minutes with Graham Allen: “unlike most democracies, the UK lacks a document that sets out the rules of the political game”
The Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, chaired by Graham Allen MP, has launched a project which aims to consult with the public about whether the UK needs a written constitution, and what such a document should contains. He argues that the country would be better governed if we took the chance to give ourselves what […]
Strengthening the role of citizens and national parliaments in decision-making is key to solving the EU’s democratic deficit
The European Union has often been accused of having a ‘democratic deficit’. Ahead of the recent European elections, Chris Terry outlined proposals put forward by the Electoral Reform Society in the UK for improving EU democracy. Among other reforms, he suggests that improving the representativeness of MEPs by using open-list voting systems, increasing the accountability of the […]
Even decentralised parties aren’t immune from the instinct to centralise
Green Parties are often decentralised and highly internally democratic. But how do decentralised party arrangements respond to power, or proximity to power? Looking at the case of the Australian Greens, Narelle Miragliotta and Stewart Jackson find that there has been gradual growth of the party’s national level, even in spite of formal provisions which guarantee the […]
A genuine economic democracy would provide the efficiency of the market system without the associated injustice
Recent years have seen a spate of protests in which the structure of the global economy has been structured. But there is an alternative to the current arrangements, with workers co-ops, public banks and participatory budgeting all shown to be successful and efficient. It’s time to take democratic control of our economy, says Tom Malleson. Similar PostsA […]
Ministers appoint special advisers for their policy expertise as much as for their partisan views
Special Advisers are a now a fixture of British government, with “SpAds” patrolling the political space in between Ministers and the Civil Service, offering the kind of policy and political advice which “Sir Humphreys” don’t feel inclined or able to offer. Drawing on research from New Zealand, Richard Shaw and Chris Eichbaum show that little research has been carried […]
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