Road to renewal: Elections, parties and the case for democratic reform
Article
“In the battle between democracy and autocracy”, US President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address, one week after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, “democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security.”
In truth, the rally around liberal democracy’s flag belies a tumultuous early- and mid-21st century for democratic nations.
This paper characterises ‘silent’ and ‘noisy’ protests against democratic politics that have grown across advanced democracies since the 1980s. We describe economic, sociocultural and political shifts that have led to these protests and show that mainstream parties, in the UK and elsewhere, are failing to respond adequately.
We argue democratic reforms to enhance the influence of ordinary and underpowered citizens over public policy are a necessary component of any strategy to recapture lost electorates and reinforce the foundations of democracy.
Related items
Forging ahead: Deciding the direction of IPPR's Migration Policy Unit
In our last blog post for the Migration Policy Unit we shared our new way of working as we endeavour to be inclusive and transparent in our policymaking process. In this blog we set out what our first and flagship project is for the policy…Who gets a good deal? Revealing public attitudes to transport in Great Britain
Transport isn’t working. That’s the message from the British public. This is especially true if you’re on a low income, disabled or living in the countryside. The cost of living crisis has exposed the shortcomings of our transport system,…Bhargav Srinivasa Desikan on TalkTV discussing AI
IPPR's Bhargav Srinivasa Desikan on TalkTV discussing his new report on the impact of generative AI on the UK labour market.