Rethinking Democracy

2018 saw celebrations of the centenary of the Representation of the People Act which marked a decisive step towards full universal suffrage. Has democracy delivered what those who fought so hard to establish it a century ago hoped for? How far is it an unfinished revolution? Is democratic politics currently in retreat?

We think our democracies are now so well established that they have become permanent and irreversible, but in politics, nothing is guaranteed, and what seems solid and impregnable in one era can seem fragile and vulnerable in the next. Democratic politics is once again under attack, this time from populist nationalists, authoritarian rulers and new forms of political communication.

This collection of essays is a response to these issues, exploring the problems of democracy and suggesting ways it might be extended and deepened.

Democracy is not a finished state. It is a living process and if there is no longer the will or the belief in its value, then it may not endure. If we lose the art of active citizenship, we will lose the freedoms and the rights which democracy has bestowed.