Public engagement

One of our main priorities is to consider how to enhance engagement with Parliament and politics. We track public participation with the political process, examine the reasons behind change and encourage debate on the critical issues relating to democratic engagement.

• We monitor and assess attitudes to politics via our annual Audit of Political Engagement. The Audit series began in 2004 and has proved an effective and reliable way to track changes in public opinion and actions. The next Audit will be published in March 2009.
• During 2006-07 we have been publishing a series of pamphlets as part of our Democracy Series. These have been thought provoking essays and commentaries which are of interest to a wide ranging audience. Subjects considered include political parties, voting, constitutional reform, exporting democracy, capitalism and Islam.  You can join the debates on these subjects and download the pamphlets at www.democracyseries.org.uk.
• We have polled the public on Lords reform and placed our findings within the context of recent changes to the Second Chamber. Our briefing paper, published in early 2007, shows that only 6% of the public support an all appointed Lords.
• The recent Commission on the Communication of Parliamentary Democracy (the ‘Puttnam Commission’) made a series of recommendations to improve Parliament’s communications and encourage more extensive coverage of events at Westminster within the mainstream media. The Hansard Society has since published, Parliament in the Public Eye 2006: Coming into Focus?. This update report reviews the progress of the Commission’s recommendations.