Hansard Society calls for improved Citizenship Education - Sept 30, 2009
Demonstrable link between knowledge, interest and
engagement in politics
October issue of Parliamentary Affairs
Discounted rate for Hansard Society members
In the October 2009 issue of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Ruth Fox, Director of the Hansard Society Parliament and Government programme, demonstrates that, in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, proposals for more direct and participatory decision-making mechanisms fail to take account of the demonstrable link between political engagement and levels of knowledge and interest. Dr Fox identifies this lack of knowledge and interest as one of the key barriers to participation in the political process and makes the case for enhanced political literacy education and well-resourced, high-quality citizenship education.
The article, Engagement and Participation: What the Public Want and How Our Politicians Need to Respond, utilises the Hansard Society's annual Audit of Political Engagement to show that people's knowledge of what ‘politics' is remains narrow and their knowledge and understanding of the basic tenants of our system of parliamentary democracy is worrying low:
- 51% claim to know not very much or nothing at all about politics
- 55% do not wish to be involved in national decision-making
- 48% say they have never heard of, or know hardly anything at all about, the constitutional arrangements governing Britain
However, further Hansard Society research shows that there is a definite appetite for improved political literacy and involvement, particularly among hard-to-reach communities:
- 47% of the public would like to learn more about Parliament
- 57% of 18-24 year olds would like to know more about Parliament.
- 49% of women would like to know more about Parliament
- Since 2007 the proportion of BME people expressing an interest in politics has risen sharply by 15%
The article also demonstrates the evaluation findings of the Hansard Society's HeadsUp online forum where under-18s debate political issues with their peers and decision-makers:
- 50% said they were now more interested in political discussions
- 90% said they were more likely to vote
Dr Ruth Fox, author of the Parliamentary Affairs article commented: ‘The public's views about political engagement and participation are complex, sometimes contradictory, and rarely uniform. There is a danger that direct democracy mechanisms, rather than empowering the widest cross-section of the public, will come to be dominated by those who shout loudest or have the most money at their disposal. What's missing are measures to encourage a more informed and engaged public through well-resourced, high-quality citizenship education. This has not been mentioned as part of the reform solutions promoted in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, yet it is self-evident that people can't fully engage in the democratic process if they don't understand it.'
For further information, contact Virginia Gibbons, Head of Communications at the Hansard Society on mediaprog@hansard.lse.ac.uk or 020 7438 1225
Editors Notes
- Parliamentary Affairs is a long-established journal published by Oxford University Press in association with the Hansard Society. Individual subscriptions cost £57 a year; special reduced subscriptions for Hansard Society subscription members cost £26 a year (UK), €39 (Europe), US$52 (rest of the world).