Informing and engaging citizens
Book Review | Performing Politics: Media Interviews, Debates and Press Conferences by Geoffrey Craig
In Performing Politics: Media Interviews, Debates and Press Conferences, Geoffrey Craig examines media interactions between politicians and journalists as power struggles that have come to be seen as crucial in indicating the potential success and competence of political leaders. While the book understands politics through largely conventional terms that bypass the emergence of newer political […]
The Law Commission’s dangerous proposals would turn whistleblowers and journalists into ‘spies’
Suppose a journalist received information about the secret services from a whistleblower, but decided not to publish it – perhaps even because they thought it might damage national security? Under the Law Commission’s proposals to replace the Official Secrets Acts with a single Espionage Act, both the journalist and whistleblower could be jailed. And if they […]
Now they’re on a roll: how to get the missing millions onto the electoral register
Individual electoral registration has not been kind to students. Previously, they were automatically enrolled by their universities; now they are not, and many have fallen off the electoral roll as a result. But an amendment passed in the Lords last night would let them register at the same time as they enrolled at university. Toby […]
Book review | Age of Anger: A History of the Present, by Pankaj Mishra
How can we explain the apparent rise in hatred in societies around the world? In Age of Anger: A History of the Present, Pankaj Mishra offers a take on our current predicament by tracing increased disaffection, disappointment and disillusionment back through to the eighteenth century. Packed with references drawn from various disciplines and eras, this is […]
What if postal votes were a great way to boost political engagement?
Eric Pickles’ recent report on electoral fraud raised concerns that postal votes represent an opportunity for voter fraud. But Justin Reedy suggests that filling out a postal ballot gives people more opportunity to discuss their choice with friends, family and neighbours – and potentially make better-informed choices as a result. Photo: Ian Britton via a CC-BY-NC 2.0 […]
Why do the French hate their politicians so much?
The French distrust their politicians and democratic institutions – more so than other Western Europeans. Why? Emiliano Grossman and Nicolas Sauger, authors of Pourquoi détestons-nous nos politiques?, argue that the French presidential system raises unreasonable hopes and expectations that quickly lead to disillusionment among voters. A woman wears a Génération Changement raincoat featuring François Hollande […]
Risk-takers and referendums: what happens when voters are better-informed?
Voting for change in a referendum is the riskier option. People who voted for Brexit were more likely to be risk-takers. But when people have more information at their disposal, are they more or less likely to stick with the status quo? Davide Morisi found that when voters were making up their minds about how to vote […]
Eleven ways Trump has violated democratic norms in his first month in power
Donald Trump was inaugurated on 20 January. In the past month, writes Brian Klaas, the President has already begun to erode democratic norms – and if we accept these violations as ‘the new normal’, American democracy is at risk. He sets out eleven ways in which Trump has undermined democratic institutions. Donald Trump is inaugurated on 20 […]
Fake becomes legit: social media and the rise of disinformation in democracies
Fake news is not new – Ulises Mejias identified disinformation tactics during the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2013. It is not possible, he argues, to make a clear distinction between ‘real’ and ‘fake’ news before and after the Trump era. Journalists themselves have been complicit in creating a new media economy where survival depends on clicks. Deregulation, surveillance techniques […]
Submarine May can’t slip back under the waves. Keeping Brexit negotiations secret is impossible
The story of Brexit has been that of a would-be secretive government forced to become more open about its intentions, writes Ben Worthy. Pressure from select committees, the media and freedom of information requests – compounded by a stream of leaks – means we now know what kind of Brexit we will have. But he […]
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