Book reviews
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 […]
Book Review: Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: 50 things you need to know about British Elections by Philip Cowley and Robert Ford
This is a perfect primer on the many contradictory and mysterious hallmarks of UK elections, a read of relevance to all with an interest in how politics works, writes Ben Mueller. Similar PostsBook Review | The British General Election of 2017 by Philip Cowley and Dennis KavanaghExpert voices: is it time to lower the voting age […]
Book Review: Women, Incarceration, and Human Rights Violations: Feminist Criminology and Corrections by Alana Van Gundy and Amy Baumann-Grau
With chapters covering medical abuse, sexual abuse, and pregnancy in prison, this an important book so far as it affords recognition to a hugely important issue, writes Alexander Blanchard. However, a tighter focus on the USA and a more generous discussion of agency would have been welcome. Similar PostsNow is the right time to introduce tough gender […]
20 things we learned about democracy in January 2015
Christmas is over, 2015 is here, and the General Election we are constantly being told is only a matter of (tens of) days away. As the locomotive that is British democracy chugs back into gear after its winter break, we are left, as ever, questioning whether we actually learned anything new. Fortunately, Democratic Audit UK’s Sean […]
Book Review: Opting Out of the European Union: Diplomacy, Sovereignty and European Integration by Rebecca Adler-Nissen
Developing a political sociology of European integration, Rebecca Adler-Nissen aims to show how everyday negotiations transform national interests into European ideals. This is a well-paced and useful read for EU scholars who wish to further examine the opt-out issue, finds Amani El Sehrawey. Similar PostsBig money buys influence in Brussels. Or does it?Online platforms differ in their capacity […]
Book Review: Models of Democracy in Nordic and Baltic Europe: political institutions and discourse, edited by Nicholas Aylott
Contributors in this volume aim to explore the possibility that some of the apparently successful institutional features of Nordic politics have somehow influenced politics in the Baltic states, despite the considerable contextual differences between the two groups. Of what is written in English on the Nordic Model there is little looking at its uptake in […]
Book Review: Negotiating Cohesion, Inequality and Change: Uncomfortable Positions in Local Government by Hannah Jones
Hannah Jones aims to explore how multiculturalism, inequality and belonging are understood in the day-to-day thinking and practices of local government. The rich details of this book, in which interviews and in situ accounts are integrated with a national imperative to engage with and direct the diversification of society, are compelling, and the book should be […]
Book Review: The Establishment: And how they get away with it by Owen Jones
In his recent book, Owen Jones sets out on a journey into the heart of our Establishment, from the lobbies of Westminster to the newsrooms, boardrooms and trading rooms of Fleet Street and the City. Sean Kippin finds that Jones’s manifesto for a socialist Britain is a substantial addition to recent left-wing political writing. Similar PostsHow accountable […]
Book Review: Deeds and Words: Gendering Politics after Joni Lovenduski, edited by Rosie Campbell and Sarah Childs
This book addresses key themes in pioneering feminist political scientist Professor Joni Lovenduski’s work. Alongside chapters on gender and political parties, quotas and recruitment, and public opinion and women’s interests, vignettes by prominent politicians and practitioners provide innovative thinking thought pieces. This is a call to action for feminists within and outside of the academy, writes Muireann O’Dwyer. […]
Book Review: What’s Wrong with the WTO and How to Fix It by Rorden Wilkinson
Rorden Wilkinson argues that the WTO to be transformed into an institution and a form of trade governance that fulfils its real potential and serves the needs of all. This thought-provoking book is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in global trade, international relations or politics, writes Elaine Kellman. Similar PostsHow we diagnose the state of […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.