Politics is where ideas meet power. The Forum examines the decisions, institutions, and debates that define public life, from local government to global diplomacy.
Beyond the West
Around half the countries around the world are democracies. It is hard to pin down a specific number; Freedom House places it at 44%, Polity at 57%, and The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index places it at 45% (DeSilver, 2019). These numbers show that democracy are commonplace, if not
The Forum
In 2022, the uprising surrounding the overturning of Roe vs Wade remains a cultural phenomenon which has defined legal and cultural shifts in American history. On June 24th, 2022, the Supreme Court dismantled a key law which was part of the fundamental basis of women’s safety, health and their
The Perspective
A system of government in which it is the people that rule, democracy strikes a delicate balance with ochlocracy, more commonly referred to as mob rule. A successful democracy draws this distinction, but to do so it must meet the following criteria (Dahl, 1998): effective participation, voting equality, enlightened understanding,
The Forum
On the 2nd September 2020, under the Johnson Government, the merger of the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) was taken into effect and became the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The Government claimed that this merger would be a new opportunity for the
Ideas Lab
Currently, the UK is on the edge of one of the biggest democratic shifts in the UK since the 1969 Representation of the People Act. The government is now pushing forward the Representation of the People Bill to lower the national voting age to 16. For many years the idea
The Forum
Front runner for the position of prime minister, Andy Burnham has made the headlines recently for his proposition of a “Number 10 North”, which would see a branch of the Prime Minister’s Office based in Manchester. He promises “a more streamlined state with a clearer purpose” and a “laser-
The Perspective
Imagine this. One day, a child comes up to you and asks why? Swamped with your other several dozen responsibilities (like finding the last of the clean water not yet seized by technocrats and AI data centres), they decide to change course and ask their hyper individualised, always friendly best
The Forum
It is clear to see that Generation Z is becoming increasingly vocal within the political landscape. With recent political developments in Westminster, many young people are more concerned than ever about ensuring their voices are heard. In the past, teenagers were often perceived as being less politically or economically informed,
The Market
“Smart Tech is making War a Dumber Choice.” This provocative headline from last week’s Economist highlights a profound truth: the nature of modern warfare has been fundamentally transformed. There are two critical developments behind this. First is the advancement in drone technology. Versatile capability at a minimal price tag
Ideas Lab
How artificial intelligence is redefining policing in London and the challenge of preserving policing by consent. As a new technological revolution takes hold, we are forced to confront the question: just because we have the capability, should we use it? Artificial intelligence has already reshaped how we communicate, how we