The ‘Anderson Report’ on surveillance powers does fudge the issues, but its findings should be implemented
David Anderson, a QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, recently published a report on the governments surveillance activities in the wake of the Snowden revelations, which showed a far higher degree of unwarranted data collection than most had previously thought. Andrew Wheelhouse argues that though the report does fudge the issues to an extent, […]
Taxing the rich leads to representative government. Happy 800th birthday, Magna Carta!
If King John and his successors hadn’t taxed the rich and powerful so heavily, argues Deborah Boucoyannis, we might not have representative government and strong courts today. She writes that once rights are codified, as they were in Magna Carta, a parliament — what we like to call “limited government”— produces more state revenue. Or to flip […]
Interview: Peter Parycek on artificial intelligence, dystopia, and democracy’s digital future
Does digital have the potential to completely transform our systems of politics and government, and if so to what extent? One of the people at the forefront of answering this question is Peter Parycek, the Chair of the International Conference for E-Democracy and Open Government 2015, and Head of the Centre for E-Governance at Danube University, […]
Book Review: The Relevance of Political Science
A new collection engages directly with how political science can achieve wider relevance as a discipline. Matt Wood finds The Relevance of Political Science a must read for any scholar interested in the impact debate and he welcomes a return to the more social constructivist ideas of impact through teaching and learning. But there is […]
MEPs’ opposition to the EU-US trade deal is being scandalously silenced
Faced with a possible shock rejection of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) by MEPs, Brussels simply cancelled the vote this week. Now, the powers that be in Washington have moved swiftly to speed up the publicly unpopular trade deal. Molly Scott Cato, one of those MEPs, argues that the European Parliament, as the only elected part […]
The misuse of psychological arguments in the immigration debate: why social psychology matters in the real world
Professor Steve Reicher recently gave a lecture on the fundamental questions facing social psychology. Amena Amer reflects on the implications of the talk and the importance of social psychologists being at the forefront of discussions on issues like immigration. The fundamental question for social psychology according to Reicher is to understand what the structures are that create essentialised […]
Young people feel distant from the ‘pale, male and stale’ political class, but are eager for change
The General Election showed further evidence of young people’s disengagement from politics, with turnout continuing to lag behind older voters. But does this mean that young people don’t care? Simon McMahon and Jessica Allen argue that this is not the case, and that distance from the political class should not be equated with disinterest of […]
Electoral bias in the UK after the 2015 General Election
Most discussion of the UK’s 2015 election so far has focussed on the unexpected Conservative majority. But Charles Pattie and Ron Johnston reveal another remarkable story hidden just below the surface. The electoral system not only deals unfairly with the smaller parties. It is also biased in how it treats the Conservatives relative to Labour. But the […]
Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement is a new kind of radical and popular opposition to the Italian government
The comedian and TV personality Beppe Grillo has shaken up Italian politics since launching his Five Star Movement – a decentralised non-party, which rails against what it describes as a corrupt and dysfunctional political and social system. An expert on the movement, Nicolò Conti, argues that now that the party has significant parliamentary representation, it […]
Regulatory chill? Why TTIP could inhibit governments from regulating in the public interest
On 10 June a key vote was held in the European Parliament on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). As Gabriel Siles-Brügge and Nicolette Butler write, much of the criticism of TTIP has focused on its impact on public healthcare systems and the role of ‘corporate tribunals’. They argue that this overlooks one of […]
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