Informing and engaging citizens
2017: the first General Election where online news overtook TV
Until recently, television was the single most popular source of news. Now online sources have overtaken it as younger generations turn to apps and social media. Research from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism shows only the BBC has a bigger reach than Facebook. Rasmus Klein Neilsen explains how trust in journalists and journalism, particularly […]
‘Stuck in their ways’: how we blame the poor for their failure to embrace globalisation
We find it easier to talk about class in purely economic terms. Lisa McKenzie argues that in fact our perceptions of class are tightly bound up in stigmatising value judgments. The same impulse that condemned the ‘undeserving poor’ to workhouses is apparent in condemnation of the poor for their attachment to the local in the […]
Three key lessons from Labour’s campaign – and how the party needs to change
Jeremy Corbyn has confounded his critics and increased Labour’s share of the vote in the General Election. But the party is some way from being able to command a parliamentary majority, says Patrick Diamond. Labour has articulated a vision of society which appeals to many young people and ‘left behind’ voters. Now the party needs to […]
Interview | Alberto Alemanno on how lobbying can be a force for good
Do you believe that lobbyists can be a force for good? Alberto Alemanno, author of Lobbying for Change: Find Your Voice to Create a Better Society, is on a mission to convince ordinary people of their power to lobby for change. In this interview with Barbara Aubin, he reflects on the importance of engaging with our political […]
Lend us your ears: fixing the crisis of legitimacy in politics
A crisis in legitimacy afflicts British and American politics. Voters complain their voices go unheard. Democratic Audit editor Ros Taylor asks Harvard democracy professor Jane Mansbridge why, in a society where new channels of communication are opening up, politicians are increasingly distanced from the electorate. How does it help to explain Donald Trump’s success – and what are […]
Party canvassers don’t change people’s opinions, but they do persuade them to vote
Party volunteers up and down the country (and especially in marginal seats) are pounding the streets campaigning on their party’s behalf. But what sort of effect, if any, do they really have? Charles Pattie, Ron Johnston and Todd Hartman show that while doorstep campaigning is unlikely to change people’s political opinions, it is particularly effective […]
Book review | Masculinity, Femininity and American Political Behavior, by Monika McDermott
In Masculinity, Femininity and American Political Behavior, Monika McDermott presents research that fundamentally questions longstanding assumptions regarding the influence of biological sex when it comes to US voting behaviour. Arguing that it is gendered personality traits that have greater implications when it comes to political preference, this offers a valuable challenge to reductive understandings as […]
Why Prevent has proved a blunt instrument in the fight against terrorism
The Manchester bombing was carried out by a young Briton from the Libyan community. Tahir Abbas asks what this means for the government’s Prevent strategy, which is supposed to stop the radicalisation that can lead to terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, he argues, the causes of radicalisation often lie in wider geopolitical issues and the mental health of young people […]
Evidence-based policy-making: ultimately a myth, but one we should believe in
In the era of Trump, is evidence-based policy-making dead? John Boswell argues that while EBPM is ultimately a myth, it is a useful one which plays an important role in democratic deliberation. It underpins and enables democratic contestation in a way that no other instrument has been able to do. Similar PostsTrump’s fight over Covid-19 […]
Book review | The Tories and Television, 1951-64: Broadcasting an Elite
In The Tories and Television, 1951-1964: Broadcasting an Elite, Anthony Ridge-Newman reflects on how historical developments in television broadcasting have influenced the structure of UK political parties, focusing specifically on the Conservative Party between 1951 and 1964. Backed up by rigorous archival research and interdisciplinary in scope, this is a fascinating, persuasive read that will be […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.