In What is Political Sociology?, Elisabeth S. Clemens produces a definitive and inspirational standard text for students at all levels. Her work offers a concise overview of political sociology as the human face of politics: the politicised interactions that take place within and between the domains of family, work, civic culture and structures of government. […]
Emmanuel Macron, the leader of France’s new En Marche! movement, announced he would run for the French presidency this week. Who is this self-proclaimed ‘outsider’, and is he really as distant from the political establishment as he claims to be? Susan Milner looks at the challenges facing Macron as he joins a crowded field of […]
While the markets seem to approve of Donald Trump’s protectionist economic policies, the security of America’s fundamental institutions has gone largely undiscussed. Piroska Nagy Mohacsi argues that the economy cannot thrive if America’s democratic institutions falter. Americans must be vigilant in defending them. Similar PostsDeadlines, delegate divisions and demographics helped determine the New York presidential primary […]
What happens when voters elect more female MPs? Zac Greene and Diana O’Brien reveal that the presence of more women broadens the range of issues discussed, but has no impact on introducing new issues to party manifestos. The presence of women MPs shifts a party markedly to the left – though there is no evidence a female leader has […]
MPs who feel strongly enough about a particular issue – whether Heathrow expansion, the Anglo-Irish Agreement or increasing pre-trial detention – have sometimes resigned their seats and stood again as independents or for another party. Will anti-Brexit MPs adopt this strategy? Sean Swan says it is fraught with risks, but resigning en masse would be the […]
A single vote will take us out of the EU, quite possibly without Parliament’s explicit consent. Davina Cooper asks whether a referendum based purely on individual Leave/Remain votes was the best we can do – or whether a more deliberative system, which would demand more engagement from the public, could produce a more considered outcome. Similar PostsBeyond the […]
In The Coalition Effect 2010-2015, Anthony Seldon and Mike Finn have collected a volume of essays examining the impact of the Coalition government of 2010-2015 on British politics. While the hindsight enabled by the 2015 general election result and Brexit means the precise legacies of the Coalition are still unfolding, this is an indispensable text that provides intriguing, […]
Voters in the EU referendum could choose only between leaving and remaining – with no say on whether to stay in the single market, renegotiate a different deal or even integrate more fully with the EU. Lily Blake argues a multiple-choice referendum of the kind held occasionally abroad would have been less divisive, set a […]
Some Swedish local authorities have embraced online services and forms of digital democracy. Others have been slow to take up the opportunity. Gustav Lidén rates the country’s 290 municipalities according to the depth of their digital engagement, and looks at the possible factors influencing it. Lack of enthusiasm from senior politicians and bureaucratic inertia are key […]
A victory for Donald Trump would pose uncomfortable questions for Britain about the future of the UK-US relationship, writes Tim Oliver. Despite similarities between the nascent populism in both countries, Trump presents so many unknowns that the core of the relationship could be strained as never before. Similar PostsDon’t be lulled by the promise of a […]
In January 2016, Democratic Audit UK launches its latest Audit of UK Democracy. Unlike previous audits, each section will be initially released in blog form, ensuring maximum impact. Once all
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Democratic Audit – Scotland was launched in September 2015, and aims to measure the health, strength
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This work by Democratic Audit is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales.
Our latest (2012) Audit of democracy in the UK has now been published and is available here
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The new Democratic Dashboard provides you with everything you need to know about your local area
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