Elections are a fundamental component of representative democracy – without them, a country cannot be democratic. For many countries, elections are the main way citizens can influence the programs and policies that affect them. There are a … [Read more...] about Explainer: The Tradeoffs in Different Electoral Systems
In January of this year, to relatively little fanfare, the UK Government extended voting rights to people who no longer live in the UK. In secondary legislation putting into effect the 2022 Elections Act, the previous 15-year time-limit on overseas … [Read more...] about Should long-term emigrants be allowed to vote?
Over the past few years growing concerns have been expressed about weaknesses in the United Kingdom’s constitutional arrangements. In response to the upheavals generated by Brexit, the draconian measures necessitated by the Coronavirus pandemic and … [Read more...] about Two Approaches to Constitutional Vulnerability
British democracy is based on the principle of representation. Our governments must command the support of a majority of the House of Commons, which, because it is directly elected by universal suffrage, is regarded as representative of the public. … [Read more...] about The case for compulsory voting in the UK
Fair elections are the basis from which we choose our representatives to send to the local council or even to Parliament. This might seem something of a statement of the obvious, but people rarely realise that the methodology of such elections has … [Read more...] about May the 4th be with them! Voter ID is no longer far, far away
Introduction For well-understood reasons given the history of Northern Ireland and the prevailing political circumstances in Scotland, discussion by journalists and academics of constitutional developments in the UK tends to focus on prospects for … [Read more...] about Recent developments and future prospects in Welsh devolution: part one
In the wake of last month’s elections, questions began to be asked about the prospect of an opposition electoral alliance. The Labour Party lost a number of councils and the Hartlepool by-election, suggesting it faces immense challenges in seeking to … [Read more...] about Electoral pacts and the constitution: could a pact be successful?
