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Democracy and politics
Focusing our work on democracy and politics throughout the world
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Featured Programmes and projects Latest news Voices blog Publications Research updates People
Focus on democracy and politics
From democracy and its alternatives to political ideologies and representation

We think a lot about the system of democracy, and its alternatives. Much of our work is also on politics – from competing ideologies and ideas, to governments being influenced by the support (or lack of support) of their people. Explore issues ranging across nationalism, populism, and other political ideologies; to political systems and parties; to elections, voting rights and representation.

FEATURED

Maya Tudor
News
14 July 2023

New book on nationalism by Maya Tudor

Different varieties of nationalism can lead to violence and discrimination, to civil rights and freedoms, and to a whole range of outcomes in between. Maya Tudor's new book explores how nationalism can vary.

Democracy and politics
Canary Wharf in London
Project

Banklash: Banks, popular backlash, and the post-crisis politics of financial regulation

Banklash is a multi-year research project, seeking to understand how banks and the rules that govern them have become objects of democratic political contestation since the financial crisis in the late 2000s.

Democracy and politics
Business and capitalism
...
Australia
France
Germany
Switzerland
United Kingdom (UK)
United States of America (USA)
Close-up macro photo of the front cover of a report
Publication
28 October 2024

Strengthening democracy by reducing threats to women in politics: Local evidence, shared solutions

Violence, abuse, and harassment against politically-active women is an escalating global issue. Comprehensive solutions involving governments, political parties, civil society, and social media regulation are essential to address this growing problem and protect women in politics.

Hannah PhillipsAmna BaigPrakriti BhattaraiIsatou M BokumJaclyn CorinEma GrajcarováRosario Grimà Algora
Democracy and politics
Inclusion
...
United Kingdom (UK)
United Nations flags
Publication
08 March 2024

Strengthening democracy by reducing threats to women in politics

Growing violence against politically active women poses a threat to representative democracy. This report addresses the measurement and mitigation of online violence against women politicians.

Hannah PhillipsAgostina BergiaRosario Grimà Algora
Inclusion
Democracy and politics
Photo of flags leading up to the United Nations building
Blog
08 March 2024

Strengthening democracy by reducing threats to women in politics

Hannah Phillips publishes a new report on threats to women in politics around the world, with Agostina Bergia and Rosario Grimà Algora, with recommendations on what we can do about it.

Hannah Phillips
Hannah Phillips
Democracy and politics

PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS

    • The flags of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe countries near headquarters of OSCE in Vienna, Austria
      Project

      International Perspectives on Conservatism

    • Manchester skyline
      Programme

      Home Win and Place-Based Renewal

    • Canary Wharf in London
      Project

      Banklash: Banks, popular backlash, and the post-crisis politics of financial regulation

    • Russian tanks in South Ossetia (source: Yana Amelina, Wikimedia)
      Project

      Establishing State Legitimacy and Effectiveness in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Societies

    • Jonathan Wolff
      Programme

      Alfred Landecker Programme

    LATEST NEWS

    SEE ALL LATEST NEWS
    Jason Stockwood
    News
    15 September 2025

    Jason Stockwood appointed Investment Minister

    Jason Stockwood, who was a Transformational Leadership Fellow across 2020-21, has been appointed Investment Minister in the UK Government.

    Economy
    Democracy and politics
    ...
    Trade
    United Kingdom (UK)
    Viktorya Aydından
    News
    15 September 2025

    Viktorya Aydinyan appointed Head of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia

    Viktorya Aydinyan (MPP 2024), has been appointed as the Head of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia.

    The School
    Democracy and politics
    ...
    Armenia
    Keir Mather
    News
    08 September 2025

    Alumnus appointed junior minister in UK Government

    Keir Mather, who completed his Master of Public Policy degree in 2021, has been appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the UK Government's Department for Transport.

    Democracy and politics
    United Kingdom (UK)

    VOICES BLOG

    SEE ALL VOICES
    Opinion and insight from around the school
    A hand is putting a white voter slip into a ballot box in front of the Japanese flag.
    Blog
    31 July 2025

    Japan’s upper house election: democracy at a critical crossroads

    Master of Public Policy student Mamiko Shimizu explores how the outcome of Japan’s latest upper house election signals a political turning point, and asks what this might mean for the future of democratic governance in one of the world’s largest economies.

    Mamiko Shimizu
    Mamiko Shimizu
    Democracy and politics
    Japan
    Tom Elston is the focus of the image. He is in conversation with a man who is in the forefront of the image blurred.
    Blog
    24 July 2025

    How governments get efficiency wrong

    What does it really mean for a government to be efficient – and is it always the right goal? We spoke with Thomas Elston, Associate Professor of Public Administration at the Blavatnik School of Government, to explore the common misconceptions around efficiency drives, why reorganisation often fails to deliver and what governments should focus on instead to get better results from limited resources.

    Thomas Elston
    Thomas Elston
    Public sector
    Democracy and politics
    Green and white government building at the end of a road lined with green trees.
    Blog
    18 June 2025

    Midterm assessment: evaluating President Tinubu's first two years in office

    Omotayo Dada, Master of Public Policy student, reflects on the key economic reforms in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu – examining whether his policies are laying foundations for long-term change or deepening public disillusionment.

    Omotayo Dada
    Omotayo Dada
    Democracy and politics
    Nigeria

    PUBLICATIONS

      • Close-up macro photo of the front cover of a report
        Publication
        28 October 2024

        Strengthening democracy by reducing threats to women in politics: Local evidence, shared solutions

        Violence, abuse, and harassment against politically-active women is an escalating global issue. Comprehensive solutions involving governments, political parties, civil society, and social media regulation are essential to address this growing problem and protect women in politics.

        Hannah PhillipsAmna BaigPrakriti BhattaraiIsatou M BokumJaclyn CorinEma GrajcarováRosario Grimà Algora
        Democracy and politics
        Inclusion
        ...
        United Kingdom (UK)
      • United Nations flags
        Publication
        08 March 2024

        Strengthening democracy by reducing threats to women in politics

        Growing violence against politically active women poses a threat to representative democracy. This report addresses the measurement and mitigation of online violence against women politicians.

        Hannah PhillipsAgostina BergiaRosario Grimà Algora
        Inclusion
        Democracy and politics
      • Publication
        03 March 2022

        Insights from resilient cities

        The project examining the levelling-up of Britain’s regions seeks to help address the problem of profound spatial inequality in the UK by drawing lessons from international success stories of cities that bounced back from decline.

        Ian TaylorSusanne Frick
        Economy
        Public sector
        ...
        Democracy and politics
        Home Win and Place-Based Renewal
        Health, education and public services
        United Kingdom (UK)
      • Publication
        13 April 2021

        Resist, reform or re-run: short- and long-term reflections on Scotland and independence referendums

        Ciaran Martin, Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations, delves into the constitutional issues related to a Scottish independence referendum, drawing on direct personal experience from the 2014 referendum and the negotiations preceding it.

        Ciaran Martin
        Democracy and politics
        Law
        ...
        Health, education and public services
        United Kingdom (UK)
      • Publication
        30 September 2020

        The gap within: impact of separate-gender polling stations on turnout

        Muhammad Khudadad ChatthaShruti Lakhtakia
        Democracy and politics
        Inclusion
        ...
        Pakistan
      • Publication
        25 September 2020

        Economic, social and political fragmentation: linking knowledge-biased growth, identity, populism and protectionism

        Dennis SnowerSteven J Bosworth
        Education
        Inclusion
        ...
        Democracy and politics
        Social Macroeconomics
      • Publication
        15 September 2020

        Ripe for reform: UK scrutiny of international trade agreements

        Anna SandsEmily Jones
        Democracy and politics
        Trade
        ...
        Global Economic Governance Programme
        United Kingdom (UK)
      • Publication
        15 January 2019

        Diverging identities: a model of class formation

        Paul Collier
        Economy
        Democracy and politics
        ...
        Social Macroeconomics
      • Publication
        04 October 2018

        Diverging identities: a model of class formation

        Paul Collier
        Inclusion
        Democracy and politics
        ...
        Economic growth and equality
      • Publication
        01 May 2017

        Brexit and the limits of financial power in the UK

        Scott JamesLucia Quaglia
        Democracy and politics
        Business and capitalism
        ...
        Global Economic Governance Programme
        Economic growth and equality
        Global governance
        United Kingdom (UK)
      • Publication
        01 June 2015

        How nationalism can promote democracy

        Maya Tudor
        Democracy and politics
        Global governance
        ...
        India
        Indonesia
        Malaysia
        Myanmar
        Pakistan
        South Asia

      RESEARCH UPDATES

      SEE ALL RESEARCH UPDATES
      Portrait of Isabel Ruiz
      Research update

      Journal article on immigration and the welfare state

      Isabel Ruiz is co-author of an article in the Oxford Review of Economic Policy about the evidence on how immigration interacts with the welfare state.

      Economy
      Democracy and politics
      Maya Tudor
      Research update

      Article in the Journal of Democracy on the crisis of military legitimacy in Pakistan

      Article by Maya Tudor and Adeel Malik in the Journal of Democracy arguing that the shock results of Pakistan’s 2024 elections signal a coming crisis of governability.

      Democracy and politics
      Pakistan
      Pepper Culpepper
      Research update

      Article in Comparative Political Studies on how narratives influence support for wealth redistribution

      An article by Pepper Culpepper and colleagues, based on research from his Banklash project. They tested whether narratives that portray inequality as the consequence of systemic unfairness increase demands for redistribution. Across six countries, the USA was an intriguing outlier.

      Human behaviour
      Democracy and politics
      Maya Tudor
      Research update

      Maya Tudor co-authors article in Annual Review of Political Science

      Democracy and politics
      Global governance

      PEOPLE

      See all people
      Pepper Culpepper
      Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Blavatnik Chair in Government and Public Policy
      James Conran
      Departmental Lecturer in Public Policy
      Thomas Hale
      Professor in Public Policy (Global Public Policy) and Director of the Master of Public Policy
      Emily Jones
      Professor of Practice in Public Policy
      Julien Labonne
      Professor in Economics and Public Policy
      Anna Petherick
      Associate Professor in Public Policy and Director of the Lemann Foundation Programme
      Tom Simpson
      Alfred Landecker Professor of Values and Public Policy
      Yeling Tan
      Professor of Public Policy
      Maya Tudor
      Professor of Politics and Public Policy
      Jonathan Wolff
      Chair of the Steering Committee
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