House of Review - A synthesis option for Lords reform
The problem? Three approaches to Lords reform. The solution? A fourth.
Democracy/Voting
Equal seats, unequal voters: The gap between numerical and political representation
Arguments about equal constituencies are also arguments about different ways of being represented
Different ways of equalising constituencies
Equalising on population, registered voters and eligible voters leads to different outcomes.
Criteria for political equality: Reframing Still’s 1981 criteria
How can we describe harm to individuals from a lack of equality in elections?
Assessing success in Civic Tech: Measures of deprivation and WriteToThem
Different uses of civic tech sites have different demographic profiles, allowing multiple interpretations of their impact.
Digital tools for democratic participation
mySociety/Public Square report about the current usage of digital tools for democratic participation.
Political animals
The changing face of the political chicken.
Being generous to petititons
Motives for signing petitions are complex, whether about a TV show or brexit.
When people decide whether to write to their MP, does the MP’s gender matter? (LSE British Politics and Policy)
LSE blog post exploring if the gender of a representative affects how likely men and women are to write to them.
Exploring the representation of women around the world
mySociety blog and minisite exploring the role of party in the gender balance in Parliaments around the world
Evidence from Scotland and Wales: representatives elected via party lists are less likely to reply to constituents (Democratic Audit)
Democratic Audit blog post detailing how features of the electoral system affects responsiveness to constituents.
Did They Write Back? A Mandate Divide in Response to Constituent Casework in Devolved Bodies
Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 72, Issue 3, July 2019.
Measuring the politics of Eurovision with data
Sometimes it's all about the music.
Voter ID and administration
Practical questions about how ID will be used in voting.
Votes for children
The most convincing reason to extend the vote to minors is their difference, not similarity, to adults.
Gerrymandering in the Public Interest?
Patching the electoral system through boundaries is more complicated than it seems.
Process and risk of boundary reforms
Reducing the number of MPs creates internal opponents to Conservative boundary reforms.
Democratic games
From Pong to Pokémon.
PCC elections: Some loose thoughts on authorisation in elections
If elections have an authorising role then turnout has to, at least sometimes, be practically significant.
The Strange Maths of Mandates
Giving practical (rather than political) consideration to manifesto promises leads to strange places.