A report examined aspects of governance considered important for understanding national well-being. It considered information on the involvement in democracy, and trust in how the United Kingdom was run – including statistics on the percentage of registered voters who voted, and trust in parliament and national government.
Source: Chris Randall, Measuring National Well-Being – Governance, 2012, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Oct
An article examined, using EU-SILC data for 24 European countries, how income inequality was related to civic and social participation. The results indicated that the main effects of inequality manifested themselves in resources at the individual and societal level. However, independent of these resources, higher inequality was associated with lower civic participation. Furthermore, inequality magnified the relationship between income and participation. This finding was in line with the view that inter-individual processes explained why inequality diminished participation.
Source: Bram Lancee and Herman van de Werfhorst, 'Income inequality and participation: a comparison of 24 European countries', Social Science Research, Volume 41 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Notes: EU-SILC = European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions
Date: 2012-Jun
An article examined the extent to which young people's levels of political engagement had changed over the period 2002-2011. Contrary to popular wisdom, the latest cohort of young people were keen to play a more active role in the political process: but their experience of the 2010 general election had left them feeling frustrated, and their aversion to formal, professional politics was as deep as it had been in 2002.
Source: Matt Henn and Nick Foard, 'Young people, political participation and trust in Britain', Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 65 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the ways in which minority-ethnic young people experienced the new climate of counter-terrorism, and its impact on their attitudes to citizenship and political participation.
Source: Ben O'Loughlin and Marie Gillespie, 'Dissenting citizenship? Young people and political participation in the media-security nexus', Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 65 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the literature on youth engagement in politics. Explanations for youth disengagement tended to emanate from two schools of thought: the traditional political science understanding of youth turnout based on life-cycle explanations; or the 'anti-apathy' approach, which failed to situate young people's political activity within the context of the political life cycle.
Source: Edward Phelps, 'Understanding electoral turnout among British young people: a review of the literature', Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 65 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article drew on the 2009/2010 British Election Survey to explore the political engagement of young people. There was a structural problem stemming partly from a lack of effective representation and partly from a failure to appreciate the ways in which socio-economic changes had affected the lives of the younger generation.
Source: Andy Furlong and Fred Cartmel, 'Social change and political engagement among young people: generation and the 2009/2010 British Election Survey', Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 65 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An article examined the strengths and weaknesses of the coalition government's 'Big Society' programme in the light of what was known about young people's politics – while youth participation in electoral politics had declined rapidly in recent decades, participation in issue-based forms of civic and political engagement had actually increased.
Source: James Sloam, '"Rejuvenating democracy?" Young people and the "Big Society" project', Parliamentary Affairs, Volume 65 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan