National Democracy Week on Eastminster
It's National Democracy Week! For the first time, 2-8 July 2018 has been designated as a week-long celebration of democracy. Events are being organised across the country to celebrate democracy and encourage democratic engagement. The week marks the 90th anniversary of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act, which gave women the…
Voter ID: our first results suggest local election pilot was unnecessary and ineffective
Should we be asked to provide identification at polling stations? Toby James and Alistair Clark draw from new research to show that it is unnecessary and ineffective. The 2018 local elections in England were surrounded by a fierce debate over a pilot requiring voters to present ID at polling stations. The government…
Denis Thatcher’s guest list: a surprising study in politics and popular culture
Margaret Thatcher’s archives have proved to be a surprising source of insight into the relationship between politics and popular culture, argues John Street. Last year saw the release of the No. 10 briefing that she received for her interview with the pop magazine Smash Hits. ‘You may not enjoy the…
Stick or twist: Should divided Northern Ireland change its electoral system? You can’t ignore progress
As Northern Ireland struggles to set up a new executive, a gamble on a new electoral system may be recommended. UEA graduate Sam Kenward makes the case why the constructive current system should be retained. With the current issues in getting a new executive set up in Northern Ireland, it…
Why Maturity may not be a good reason to stop 16-year-olds from voting in US elections
A common argument made against allowing 16-year-olds to vote is that teenagers are not mature and responsible enough to be trusted to make a sensible decision; but statistics show, that in many ways, American teens (as well as their international counterparts) are better behaved and more responsible than ever before,…
The Case for the Full Enfranchisement of Prisoners in the UK
UEA Student Megan Bennett argues that the lack of voting rights for prisoners in the UK is unfair, illogical, and archaic compared with other European countries. The best way to rectify the situation is to allow full enfranchisement of prisoners. Few issues currently being debated return such polarised and emotive…
Mexico’s Historic 2018 Elections
Following a landslide victory on 1 July, Mexico’s president elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, leader of the leftist MORENA coalition, announced that his government will be ‘for the people, of the people and with the people’. UEA's Hazel Marsh, in Mexico with the Red Universitaria y Ciudadana por la Democracia (RUCD),…
Catching the wave: How can democracy re-capture the youth vote?
Electoral participation remains low amongst young people. In this blog, Beth Davies draws from focus groups with young people to reveal what can be done to get the youth vote out. The Oxford Dictionary’s 2017 word of the year was ‘youthquake’, a term previously coined for the 1960s’ British flair…
Why “tough rules” would help referendums settle big issues
In recent years the UK has conducted numerous referendums on major constitutional issues. Most of these referendums have not served their purpose with many issues not being settled after the vote count and implementation or attempted implementation of the result. “Tough rules” such as introducing a minimum turnout, a supermajority…
What each of the G7 countries wants, and what they need
The 2018 meeting of the G7 countries is set to take place in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. With many of the Trump administration’s recent decisions running directly counter to the other members’ interests, the summit promises to be tense. Here’s what each member state hopes to get from it. The…