Tag: Elections
Fidesz and electoral reform: How to safeguard Hungarian democracy
The Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, has been criticised by some international observers for undermining the country’s democracy, but how accurate is this view? Andrea Fumarola presents a comprehensive look at the effect of electoral reforms recently undertaken in Hungary. He writes that the current voting system seriously limits not only the fair representation […]
The UK scores worst in electoral integrity in Western Europe. Here’s why:
The UK performs poorly when it comes to issues of electoral integrity, lagging behind European neighbours but does particularly poorly when compared with Scandinavia – which as is the case in many fields outperforms Britain. Here, Pippa Norris looks at the reasons why, pointing to voter registration procedures, electoral laws, media coverage, constituency boundaries, and the […]
Money is key for democratic politics but its abuse is often clearly perceived as a problem by citizens
The maintenance of democracy requires the balancing of various demands, among them economic liberty and democracy. Here, Ferran Martinez i Coma shares research which looks at the way these two demands interplay in campaign finance, with the Electoral Integrity Project producing research which shows the extent to which this and related issues affect citizen confidence in […]
To speak of populist radical right parties as a ‘corrective to democracy’ is—in terms of turnout—a misunderstanding
In America a right-wing populist has sparked debate about the state of American democracy, while European countries have increasing experience of populist radical right parties. The presence and popularity of these parties raises significant questions about their consequences for democracy, democratic legitimacy, and political participation. In a recent study, Tim Immerzeel and Mark Pickup examined […]
‘Too close to call’? Accounting for satisfaction with party leadership would have helped better predict the General Election
A good predictor of electoral outcomes over the past nine UK general elections has been survey questions asking about satisfaction with the leaders of the two main parties. That measure, however, combines responses from people who support the party and those who don’t. Here, Ruth Dixon explores leader satisfaction among party supporters as a way of measuring the level of ‘enthusiastic […]
If we want to improve young voter engagement, there are lessons that can be learned from the US Presidential campaigns
The 2016 US Presidential election is in full-flow, with Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders fighting for the Democratic nomination, and Donald Trump still the frontrunner for the Republicans. Here, Josie Torrice looks at the lessons that can be learned from the campaign in terms of increasing the engagement of young voters, who are considerably less […]
It is far from clear whether the Labour Party is ready for the forthcoming EU referendum
Last time the UK undertook a referendum on our membership of the European Union following a renegotiation of the terms of membership, it was Labour in office. This time, the process will be overseen by a Conservative government, with Labour in opposition. Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s first Eurosceptic leader in a generation, has pledged to support […]
Governments who push popular climate policies can be punished at the ballot box by local and vocal minorities
While the majority of the public typically supports environmental policies, if the costs fall on local groups with projects in their backyards, they often resist. In new research that uses Ontario, Canada as a case study, Leah C. Stokes examines how small groups are able to mobilise politically to oppose the location of new wind […]
Enfranchising 16 and 17 year olds won’t create a new politics, but a more inclusive version of politics as usual
We need an intelligent debate on whether 16- and 17-year-olds should vote in the EU referendum, says Richard Berry – not least because the notion that different age groups have very different policy priorities is misguided, at best. Similar PostsThe purdah controversy – setting the rules of the referendum gameSwitching off E4 on election day is a bold […]
The polling and registration process needs to be made simpler, more convenient and better resourced
The UK suffers from low electoral turnout, with young people in particular increasingly unlikely to turn out to vote in elections. At the same time, critics of our current electoral infrastructure highlight the risk of fraud. Here, Toby S. James, and Alistair Clark show that our polling and registration processes should be made simpler and […]
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