Involving young people in democracy
The court system is already on the school curriculum, but Michael Gove seems too ashamed of his own work to tell people about it
The Law Commission has recommended teaching children about jury service. In fact, suggests the Citizenship Foundation’s Michael Grimes, this topic is already on the citizenship curriculum. Unfortunately, he argues, the Secretary of State for Education is not doing enough to promote the virtues of citizenship education. Similar PostsThe deficit model of education views citizenship teaching […]
A vicious cycle of apathy and neglect: young citizens and the power gap
It is well known that the number of people neglecting to turn out at elections is on the increase. It is also firmly established that non-voters tend, on the whole, to be younger than the population at large. This non-participation in electoral life increasingly problematic for representative democracy as a whole. In an extract from […]
20 things we learned about democracy in January 2014
The first month of what promises to be a momentous year for UK democracy has produced more than a few surprising revelations. In this post Democratic Audit looks back at the insights we have gleaned in the past 31 days, ranging from parliamentary mothers and unfree information to honourable barbers and the end of libel […]
All parties need to commit to a plan for young voter engagement
Electoral turnout is among young people is falling, and the disparities between young and old is worse in the UK than any other OECD country. Yet the response of politicians to youth disengagement has been tepid, argues Izzy Westbury, who suggests learning from overseas and the embrace of an ‘educate first, vote second’ plan for […]
100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part four
To mark the end of 2013, Democratic Audit has collected 100 of the most important, surprising and downright disturbing things we have learned about democracy this year. Here is part four of our list, covering everything from Parliamentary select committees to Cornish national identity. Similar Posts100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part three […]
100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part three
To mark the end of 2013, Democratic Audit has collected 100 of the most important, surprising and downright disturbing things we have learned about democracy this year. Here is part three of our list, covering everything from non-voting lothario Russell Brand to the (financial) value of your vote. Similar Posts100 things we learned about democracy […]
100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part two
To mark the end of 2013, Democratic Audit has collected 100 of the most important, surprising and downright disturbing things we have learned about democracy this year. Here is part two of our list, ranging from Australian coups and the expanding Lords to neighbourhood planning and the political impact of a pair of red trousers. […]
100 things we learned about democracy in 2013: Part one
To mark the end of 2013, Democratic Audit has collected 100 of the most important, surprising and downright disturbing things we have learned about democracy this year. Here is part one of our list, ranging from toddlers and tweeting MPs to workplace democracy and the lonely Wigan Tory. Similar Posts100 things we learned about democracy […]
Popular culture can help to engage young people with political ideas, but isn’t enough on its own
Young people are generally of the firm opinion that politics is dull and politicians are not worth listening to. Research by Sanna Inthorn, Martin Scott and John Street shows that despite their disinterest, 16 and 17 year olds – through their engagement with popular culture – do partake in debates which can be termed ‘proto-political’. However, a […]
Russell Brand has a point about disillusionment with politics, but he is wrong when he says young people shouldn’t vote
Russell Brand’s recent guest editorship of the New Statesman and his accompanying interview with Jeremy Paxman – in which he made the case for not voting – have generated a great deal of debate about the reasons that lie behind political apathy. Here, Jamie Barlett argues that though Brand does have a point about the reasons for political disillusionment, […]
Democratic Audit's core funding is provided by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. Additional funding is provided by the London School of Economics.