Involving young people in democracy
Beppe Grillo’s ‘Five Star’ movement shows the probable limitations of the internet as a replacement for politics
In a recent post, the RSA’s Adam Lent argued that politics could learn from the internet in order to stem the tide of political apathy and disengagement. But can (and perhaps more importantly, should) politics actually be more like the internet? Democratic Audit’s co-Director Jonathan Hopkin argues that events in Italy show that it is much […]
20 things we learned about democracy in March 2014
March 2014 was an eventful month for democracy, with April set to be even more eventful yet. From dancing to election results, to Islamophobia and local government, Democratic Audit brings you the 20 most interesting things that came across our radar this month. Similar PostsThe real reasons referendums have become so common – and so […]
The Electoral Commission’s Jenny Watson on votes at 16, information for voters, and modernising our electoral infrastructure
The Electoral Commission is the public body responsible for regulating party and election finance and setting standards for UK elections. In the second part of a two part Q&A with Democratic Audit’s Sean Kippin, The organisation’s Chair, Jenny Watson discussed modernising our electoral infrastructure, the Electoral Commission’s remit, and the standard of electoral information availability. Similar PostsNHS […]
Britain’s army of non-voters has the potential to transform our domestic politics
The political class worries about declining voter turnout and party membership. But as Fran O’Leary argues, it gives too little thought to winning back non-voters, who number over ten million, and have the potential to transform the political map. But while all parties could reap the rewards, there are varying degrees of risk for Labour, the Conservatives, […]
Highly educated young people are less likely to vote than older people with much lower levels of attainment
Older people are more likely to vote and highly educated people are more likely to vote: these are electoral phenomena common in advanced democracies across the world. The UK stands out from its counterparts in some ways: we have a much wider gap in turnout between young and old, while the gap in turnout based […]
We should enfranchise young people at 16 while they are still living at home in a settled community
Young voters are less likely to participate in elections than older generations. In this extract from Democratic Audit’s new report, Richard Berry and Patrick Dunleavy show how this is linked to the high levels of mobility among young people above the age of 18, who tend to live in rented accommodation and to move home […]
Same-day electoral registration would increase voter engagement and improve British democracy
The number of eligible individuals opting to vote on polling day is in long-term decline. So too are levels of electoral registration, with one in five eligible voters not even appearing on the electoral register. To this end, the Labour Party has recently announced a policy to allow would-be voters to register on the day […]
20 things we learned about democracy in February 2014
February is the shortest month of the year, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t learned an awful lot about democracy. In just 28 short days, we’ve found out about online voting, the public’s dismal view of Prime Minister’s Questions, perceptions of corruption, and an unlikely revival for a Jeffrey Archer storyline. Similar PostsBeyond metro […]
Evidence from Britain, France and Germany shows young people are engaged in more direct forms of political participation, beyond voting
Young people are much less likely to vote in elections that older generations, with the age gap in voting much higher in the UK than in other advanced democracies. Daniela F Melo and Daniel Stockemer present findings from the UK, Germany and France that show young people are more likely than older people to be […]
Ending the vicious cycle: compulsory turn-out for first time voters
Democratic disengagement amongst young people in on the rise, with research in a new Democratic Audit publication showing the scale of the problem. Here, Guy Lodge, Glenn Gottfried, and Sarah Birch make the case for compulsory turnout amongst first-time eligible voters, which would help to redress the power gap between younger and older citizens. Similar PostsTackling political inequality requires a “carrot […]
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