The elections watchdog said that at least 6 million people in Great Britain were not registered to vote as at December 2010, compared with an estimated 3.9 million in 2000. 56 per cent of people aged 19-24 were registered, compared with 94 per cent of those aged 65 and over; 77 per cent of people from black and minority-ethnic communities were registered, compared with 86 per cent of white people; and 56 per cent of people living in private rented homes were registered, compared with 88 per cent of home-owners.
Source: Great Britain's Electoral Registers 2011, Electoral Commission
Links: Report | Electoral Commission press release | ERS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2011-Dec
A chapter in the 2011-12 British Social Attitudes Survey report examined whether politicians had been more effective in 2010 at reaching out to those people who were least engaged in politics. A small rise in turnout in the 2010 general election masked some deeper problems concerning people?s motivation to vote.
Source: John Curtice, 'Bridging the gulf? Britain?s democracy after the 2010 election' (in Alison Park, Elizabeth Clery, John Curtice, Miranda Phillips, and David Utting (eds.), British Social Attitudes 28: 2011-2012 Edition), SAGE Publications
Links: Chapter
Date: 2011-Dec
A paper examined the link between inequality and voter turnout. Inequality was associated negatively with turnout at the national elections in Europe – not a very strong effect, but net of several factors affecting voter turnout that were empirically well proven. Larger differences in income between very rich groups and the middle decreased overall turnout, while larger differences between the middle and very poor groups increased turnout.
Source: Daniel Horn, Income Inequality and Voter Turnout: Evidence from European national elections, Discussion Paper 16, GINI Project (European Commission)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Nov
A report examined the difference that community organizations made to political participation in their neighbourhoods. It suggested ways in which policy-makers, funders, infrastructure organizations, and community-based organizations themselves could support political participation, particularly in deprived communities.
Source: Mike Aiken, Leila Baker, and Saima Tarapdar, Encouraging Participation: The role of community-based organisations, Community Matters
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Aug
An article examined why people participated in civic and community-based activity. It set out four categories of citizen orientation that might influence participation: trust in government institutions, moral motivations, neighbourhood social norms, and 'neighbourhood affect'. Neighbourhood affect – having positive feelings about the neighbourhood – had a positive effect on civic behaviour.
Source: Peter John, Edward Fieldhouse, and Hanhua Liu, 'How civic is the civic culture? Explaining community participation using the 2005 English Citizenship Survey', Political Studies, Volume 59 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jun
A briefing paper set out background information on women in politics and public life. It highlighted the shortage of female representation in political life, including Parliament.
Source: Women at the Top 2011: Politics and public life in the UK, Hansard Society
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Mar
A report examined the link between analyzing power and achieving social change. It focused on developing an understanding of how those who had traditionally been regarded as having the least power in society could make things happen for themselves through understanding the power they did have, and using it to influence change.
Source: Raji Hunjan and Soumountha Keophilavong, Power and Making Change Happen, Carnegie UK Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
The government began consultation on proposals for improving access to elected office for disabled people. Disabled people who wanted to become local councillors or MPs would have access to a fund to help them overcome the barriers they faced.
Source: Access to Elected Office for Disabled People: A Consultation, Government Equalities Office
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | GEO press release | Scope press release
Date: 2011-Feb