Welcome to the Hansard Society

The Hansard Society is the UK's leading independent, non-partisan, political research and education charity.

We aim to strengthen parliamentary democracy and encourage greater public involvement in politics. At the heart of our work is the principle that civic society is most effective when its citizens are connected with the institutions and individuals who represent them in the democratic process. There has never been more urgency for Parliament to engage with the public.

Join the Hansard Society and receive a discount subscription to the academic journal Parliamentary Affairs

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  • Audit of Political Engagement 9, Part One

    Disgruntled, disillusioned and disengaged. New Hansard Society research shows people are turning away from national politics

    The 2012 Hansard Society annual Audit of Political Engagement, published on April 25, shows that the public’s growing sense of indifference to politics as highlighted in last year’s Audit has hardened into something more serious as public attitudes become more negative.

    Download here

    Click here to listen to the launch event in full

  • Forum on volunteering, the Big Society and 'Broken Britain'

    HeadsUp is an online space for 11-18 year olds to discuss political issues with politicians and other decision-makers.

    The next forum runs from Monday 30 April - Friday 18 May and there’s loads of background information to help students understand the issues as well as teachers' notes full of ideas on how to work the issues into classroom activities.

    The debate will focus on the following topics:
    -    British Society – does the Government do too much?
    -    The Big Society – do we expect too much of volunteers?
    -    Broken Britain – is our society really broken?

    To register as a teacher/youth worker or to take part as a young person click here 

    To read reports from previous forums click here.

  • Launch Event: Audit of Political Engagement 9, Part One

    2011 was one of the most turbulent and momentous years in recent UK history on the political, economic and diplomatic fronts. But what influence, if any, has it had on public attitudes to politics?

    Dr Ruth Fox and Matt Korris of the Hansard Society's research team presented this year's findings and were joined by Professor Gerry Stoker - author of Why Politics Matters: Making Democracy Work - to discuss what this means for politics and democracy in the UK.

    Please Click Here for details about the event, including full audio and photos.

  • Hansard Scholars Programme (Undergraduates)

    Are you an undergraduate interested in politics and current affairs? Would you enjoy studying and interning in the UK, at the heart of the parliamentary process, alongside key decision-makers and opinion-formers from Parliament, Government, campaign organisations, think tanks, lobbying groups, and the media? Would you enjoy a semester living in one of the most vibrant, exciting, and politically important cities in the world?

    To find out more click here

  • Should Lobbying Be Transparent?

    On 29 February the Hansard Society, in collaboration with Ellwood & Atfield, held an event in Portcullis House to highlight the Government’s recent consultation paper, Introducing a Statutory Register of Lobbyists. The question was, on the surface, simple – should lobbying be transparent? Please click the image for further details including full audio of this event




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HeadsUp is an online debating space for 11-18 year-olds, to enable young people to discuss their views on political issues with their peers and influential decision-makers. It aims to build levels of political awareness and participation so that young people can play an effective role in the democratic processes affecting their lives. HeadsUp is also a space that politicians and political parties can use to consult with young people and find out their ideas, experiences and opinions.

The HeadsUp topic debates for 2012 are:

What makes society work well? (April 30 -May 18, 2012)

Olympic and Paralympic Games (June 18 -July 6,  2012)

 

Citizenship Education

Citizenship Education >

Connecting young people with democracy

Digital Democracy

Digital Democracy >

Exploring the social and political impacts of digital media

Parliament and Government

Parliament & Government >

Research and ideas on Parliament and politics

Study and Scholars

Study & Scholars >

Learning about British politics from the inside

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