Europe is heading towards constitutional crisis, with or without Greece
Greece is in the midst of turmoil, with its government unwilling to capitulate to the ‘Troika’ of the EU, IMF, and European Central Bank on debt repayment, nor willing to abandon its membership of the European single currency. While many view the resolution of the Greek crisis as representing an opportunity for stability, Nicole Scicluna argues that […]
A road map for pluralistic and ‘asymmetric’ devolution in the UK
Devolution to a model set out by the centre is not devolution at all, writes Jonathan Carr-West. We need local authorities and groups of local authorities in cities and counties to come forward with detailed and realistic proposals on how they plan to grow their local economies and improve local services and what powers they need […]
Analysis of Twitter responses indicates a preference for diversity in televised political debates
In autumn 2014, during the last few weeks of the Scottish Independence Referendum campaign, researchers at Robert Gordon University explored the Twitter response to three live televised political debates, each of which involved high-profile participants. Graeme Baxter shares their findings. Similar PostsThe Scottish independence referendum shows that young people can be mobilized politically given the […]
Politicians should embrace the radicalism of Freedom of Information, else they may end up regretting it
The Freedom of Information Act was introduced by Tony Blair’s first Labour government, something which the former Prime Minister now regrets. His new-found scepticism has been echoed by the new Justice Secretary, Michael Gove, who has proposed limiting its reach. Ben Worthy argues that politicians should embrace the full radicalism of Freedom of Information, rather […]
Interview: Peter Parycek and Noella Edelmann on digital democracy best practice, localism, and e-government
Does democracy have a digital future? At a recent conference at Danube University in Krems, Austria, Sean Kippin asked the co-Chairs of the recent digital democracy and e-government conference (CEDEM) – Peter Parycek and Noella Edelmann – whether politicians were capable of making the necessary transition to digital, what the implications were localism, and which countries […]
Economic globalisation reduces electoral turnout
Politicians frequently pay lip-service to the forces of globalisation, and in particular they have shaped political debates around wages, housing and immigration. But what impact have these impersonal forces had on political participation? Drawing on recent research, Stephen Fisher and John Marshall argue that the impact of globalisation has been to reduce electoral turnout due to […]
Could Labour and the Liberal Democrats merge? If so, they should look to Canada for inspiration
The Labour and Liberal Democrat Parties are both currently reeling from disastrous 2015 election results, with both in the process of electing new leaders following the resignations of Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg. But could the two parties, until recently at loggerheads, ever become one? Alex Marland argues that the two parties should look to […]
The Greater Manchester mayoralty is beginning to take shape, but there are still issues to be ironed out
Greater Manchester this week becomes the first combined metro area to have its own mayor – a decision from central government which has been met with much controversy. Tony Lloyd, the former Labour MP turned Police and Crime Commissioner has been chosen as the first interim mayor until elections can be organised. Professor Francesca Gains […]
Voters who support under-represented parties are more likely to express dissatisfaction with the political system
How does over and under-representation of political parties affect voter satisfaction with democracy? André Blais, Alexandre Morin-Chassé, and Shane P. Singh share research which shows that voters who support parties such as UKIP and the Green Party are less likely to express satisfaction with the political system as a whole, however voters who see their […]
Could virtual reality improve civic engagement in policy making?
The General Election in 2015 still saw a large body of British citizens opting not to participate in the formal political process, with political disengagement a major problem that policy-makers will need to overcome. But what role could digital technology, and in particular ‘virtual reality’, have in fostering an improved level of political and citizen […]
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