Tag: IPPR
Painting in primary colours: political populism and the muted mainstream
Has the rise of radical populist parties across Europe led to the opening up of a gap between what is feasible politically and good governance? Nick Pearce argues that understanding our current political situation is helped by the work of Max Weber and Peter Mair, but that the challenge of squaring this dilemma looks difficult […]
It is political inequality that represents British democracy’s real crisis
People in Britain today feel both powerless and isolated when it comes to political decision making in Westminster – none more so that Britain’s white working class population who feel less confident in their ability to influence the political process than others. But these are concerns shared by a broad cross-section of society. Low levels […]
If the rest of the country is to catch up to London, we need a Great North Plan
Since the introduction of the London mayoralty, London has enjoyed a level of strategic planning which has allowed it to speak with one voice in putting the case for greater infrastructure and economic development. The rest of the country does have this advantage, and IPPR North’s Bill Davies argues that in order to bridge the […]
Surprisingly, UK think tanks don’t often communicate with elected officials
The UK has an established and influential think tank sector, with research organisations across the political spectrum providing a constant stream of political and policy ideas, setting the agenda, and influencing the media’s reporting of events. Here, Hartwig Pautz looks at exactly who these organisations communicate with most frequently, and shows that the sector is surprisingly reticent […]
The “No” vote’s soft underbelly could yet see Scotland vote for independence in September
With polling day for the referendum on Scottish independence moving ever closer, John Curtice highlights the ‘soft underbelly’ of the pro-union vote that could swing it for the Yes side: those Scots who want more devolution but aren’t sure if they’re going to get it from a post- unionist camp, with both Labour and Conservative Parties unclear as to whether to […]
Ending the vicious cycle: compulsory turn-out for first time voters
Democratic disengagement amongst young people in on the rise, with research in a new Democratic Audit publication showing the scale of the problem. Here, Guy Lodge, Glenn Gottfried, and Sarah Birch make the case for compulsory turnout amongst first-time eligible voters, which would help to redress the power gap between younger and older citizens. Similar PostsTackling political inequality requires a “carrot […]
Taking democracy seriously demands that we identify and address the danger of oligarchy
Republican political theory has undergone a renaissance in recent years. Philip Pettit and Quentin Skinner have identified a certain understanding of liberty as central to republicanism and Pettit argues that we must make democratic institutions ‘contestatory’ to secure liberty in this sense. John McCormick, drawing on Machiavelli, argues that we need to be alert to […]
If the localism agenda is to fulfil its potential, councils need the power of the purse
The specifics of the Coalition Government’s Localism Act, passed to much fanfare almost exactly two years ago, were controversial and yet they did speak to a political consensus about the desirability of moving towards greater autonomy for local government. Writing about the publication of a new IPPR report, Sarah Armitage concludes that if the localism […]
Citizen schools offer a chance to rebuild our democracy from the bottom up
The Conservative Party’s ‘Big Society’ was supposed to bring about a new age of public involvement and active citizen participation in public affairs. But as that agenda crumbles, Jamie Audsley, the co-author of a new IPPR report, argues that to achieve those ends, we must place the citizenship agenda at the heart of every school. Similar PostsOn […]
Young Britons should vote early, and vote often
The Australian Federal Election again showed that making turnout mandatory is proven to increase turnout, with over 86% of the population voting, compared to just 65% in the UK’s 2010 General Election. Professor Sarah Birch argues that the time has come to tackle the crisis of youth disaffectedness with politics by introducing compulsory voting for the […]
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