Irregular migration in the Mediterranean: four key principles for solving the crisis
With over 1,000 migrants in the Mediterranean feared dead following a series of incidents in recent weeks, EU Foreign and Interior Ministers agreed on an action plan on 20 April for addressing the crisis. Anna Triandafyllidou writes on the key elements underpinning the problem and outlines four key elements that a new strategic approach should […]
Rigid statutory demands, budget cuts, and lack of political choice are strangling local government innovation
Local Authorities have been having a difficult ride since the formation of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition in May 2010. As it potentially draws to a close, Cllr Tim Cheetham argues that the rigidity of statutoury guidance from the Department for Communities and Local Government, cuts to Local Authority budgets, and a stifling lack of political […]
The UK Supreme Court must recruit its members from a more diverse range of backgrounds
The previous Labour Government introduced a new UK supreme court, replacing the old system in which the legal committee of the House of Lords – the ‘Law Lords’, would fulfil this task. Dr Rachel O’Cahill-Callaghan discusses the need for demographic diversity in this body, and also the need for diversity of background, experience and values. Similar PostsThe rule […]
‘Nudges’ may be effective at times, but policymakers will be disappointed if they rely on them to tackle entrenched problems
Since the publication of 2008’s Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, policy ‘nudges’ have been in fashion, with smaller interventions aimed at altering public behaviour in a subtle manner being adopted by many governments, including in the UK. Frank Mols looked at this phenomenon in a recent journal article, and argues here that while nudges undoubtedly can […]
Like our students, UK voters should have the option to vote for ‘Re-open Nominations’
In the UK, there is currently no formal provision for voters to make a positive abstention. Chris Game argues that this is a mistake, and that a ‘Re-open nominations’ option should be added to ballot papers, as part of a range of reforms aimed at increasing engagement. Wednesday April 15 was #DeDay – Democracy Day, […]
Expectation management: can politicians win back political trust by limiting what the public expects of them?
Politicians may be feverishly campaigning for votes, but fewer and fewer citizens say they trust them and the institutions they inhabit. In this post, Ben Seyd considers what politicians can do to strengthen the public’s confidence in their work. He suggests that trust may not be responsive to the expectations that people have of politicians; […]
Book Review: Personality Politics? The role of leader evaluations in democratic elections
Personality Politics? assesses the role that voters’ perceptions and evaluations of leaders play in democratic elections. The book presents evidence from an array of countries with diverse historical and institutional contexts, and employs innovative methodologies to determine the importance of leaders in democracies worldwide. Ruth Garland thinks this book is as a useful handbook for all students […]
Five Minutes with Carl Cullinane on the Democratic Dashboard: “There’s a big difference between open data and accessible data.”
Sierra Williams caught up with Carl Cullinane, the project lead behind the Democratic Dashboard, a voter information resource making constituency data open and accessible in the run-up to the UK’s General Election. Because of the variety of data sources used, it was a huge job to harmonise the structure and formatting of the datasets to make them compatible. […]
Muslims continue to be less accepted than other minorities in Britain
Muslims in Britain are often the subject of scorn, derision, and fear, with the press and populist politicians frequently linking Islam with terrorism or other crimes. Ingrid Storm considers the reasons why prejudice, in what is often described as an open and tolerant nation, continues to disadvantage Muslims in the UK. Credit: Lee Dad, CC BY NC 2.0 […]
Interview part 2: Tim Bale on Ed Miliband’s approach to public services, constitutional reform, and whether he can win
Labour could be on the cusp of returning to power after five years in opposition. Their success would represent a triumph which looked unthinkable back in 2010. Tim Bale has recently released a book detailing the Labour leader Ed Miliband’s quest to win in 2015. Here, Democratic Audit UK’s Sean Kippin interviews the author, asking […]
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