Log in
The impact arises from research on electoral malpractice and electoral registration in the UK, carried out by Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, and which made a clear and identifiable contribution to public and parliamentary debate and to policy development. The research was published in the period April 2008 — March 2012 and the impact is identifiable from April 2008 onwards. The impact has been manifested in the influence of the research on national political debate, campaigning by a leading democracy pressure group in the UK, the work of the Electoral Commission and, ultimately in its contribution to bringing about legislative change.
Dr Alan Renwick's research has had a distinctive, timely, and invaluable impact on the development of British constitutional debate in recent years. It has improved the quality of public discussion of key electoral and other democratic reforms and strengthened evidence-based decision-making in parliament and government. The underpinning research on the causes and consequences of democratic reforms was conducted at the University of Reading and disseminated both to policy-makers and direct to the public. It helped frame the debates around the electoral reform referendum of 2011 and the Lords reform proposals of 2011-12. As the UK Political Studies Association has recognized, it is a model of what Politics departments should be striving to do.
Researchers at Surrey have designed a new voting system commissioned by the Victorian Electoral Commission, for use in their State election, based on our Prêt à Voter system.
It will be the world's first fully verifiable e-voting system. Surrey's work has had a direct impact on Australian voting public services and on public policy on e-voting. The system provides secure and verifiable electronic support for voting in Victoria's State elections. Benefits include accessibility for blind and vision impaired voters, for those with motor impairments, for those who cannot read English, and greater efficiency and reach for remote voters nationally and internationally.
This research on party and voter behaviour in the 2012 Scottish Local Government elections influenced the understanding and behaviour of two audiences. First, it directly informed the Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Regeneration Committee's inquiry into the 2012 Scottish Local Government Elections, which recommended reforms to electoral law as well as other measures to enhance local democracy. Second, it made a distinct contribution to improving the understanding of the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system among party agents and candidates. In particular, there is clear evidence that it informed the campaign strategy of some Scottish National Party candidates and agents.
A new procedure for defining UK Parliamentary constituencies was strongly influenced by research led and directed by Professor Ron Johnston of the University of Bristol. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act, 2011, created new rules for the redistribution of seats and also reduced the size of the House of Commons from 650 Members to 600. Throughout the proceedings, from initial meetings with the Conservative Party to completion of the legislation, Johnston was a key advisor to all three main political parties, civil servants, MPs (including a House of Commons Select Committee), the Boundary Commissions and members of the House of Lords (in whose debates his advice was cited on several occasions). He co-authored reports, gave oral evidence, and advised individuals. His expertise was called upon by the media during the debates on the Bill, to explain its intricacies and the many amendments. For this work, Johnston received the Political Studies Association's `Political Communicator of the Year' award in 2011.
Based on his acknowledged research expertise in the areas of voting behaviour, electoral systems and survey methodology, John Curtice was widely consulted by the media before and after the 2010 UK general election to provide expert predictions on the likely outcome and to explain the results. By engaging with a variety of non-academic audiences, he informed public debate and understanding, and influenced pre-election planning by the UK Civil Service. He also contributed to the election night coverage by the three major UK broadcasters by accurately predicting the final result based on exit poll data. This informed much of the election night coverage, particularly on the BBC.
Research by Simon Hix on the democratic reform of the European Union has helped to transform the way politicians, policymakers, journalists and interest groups understand how EU politics works, and as a result has changed the way the EU institutions work. Hix's research has achieved the following key impacts: 1) www.VoteWatch.eu is the leading website for tracking the voting behaviour of MEPs and governments in the EU Council; 2) recorded ("roll-call votes") are now taken in the European Parliament (EP) on all final votes on EU legislative proposals; 3) the Duff Report on the reform of the EP electoral system proposed to introduce preferential-voting in all EU member states; and 4) there is growing support amongst think tanks, NGOs and political parties for a competitive election of the Commission President, which Hix has advocated for several years. In November 2012, on the 40th anniversary of British membership of the EU, the media group EurActiv named Simon Hix amongst "the 40 most influential Britons on EU policy". He was the only academic on the list (see http://www.euractiv.com/UK40).
The British Local Elections Database and accompanying research output comprise a unique national resource through which political parties, media organisations, official statistical sources, central and local government, and public affairs companies have been able to report on and analyse electoral trends. This has informed and impacted on political debate and policy-making, and in turn has led to an increased public understanding and awareness of how to benchmark and interpret election outcomes. The impact of the research peaked in reach and significance at the time of the 2010 general election, but is also apparent at the annual local elections and in the constant tracking of patterns of behaviour at local by-elections.
Essex research on electoral administration has informed the development of practical measures to reduce electoral corruption in a number of different countries. Work led by Professor Sarah Birch has contributed significantly to promoting good practice in elections both in the UK and in a number of new and semi-democracies. In the UK, Birch's research played an important role in shaping the Electoral Administration Act 2006, which led to a significant reduction in postal voting abuse in the 2010 General Election. In Macedonia, Birch's research was used to inform a UN Development Programme project on proxy voting that fed directly into strategy documents from the State Election Commission and a Code of Conduct signed by all parties. Following the project, 'family voting' in Macedonia declined 17 per cent in the 2011 parliamentary elections. Birch extended her work in a series of training projects on parliamentary strengthening in Lebanon and Mozambique as part of a £5 million programme funded by DFID and the FCO and implemented through the Westminster Foundation for Democracy. In addition, her research regularly informs the practical work of various international organisations involved in the organisation and monitoring of elections.
This case study encompasses research carried out within the participation and representation research group. It reflects a body of research on elected bodies at UK, devolved and local tiers, which has taken place within the School over the past twenty years. Among other things it has: provided the principal body of data collection and analysis on Scottish local elections; influenced debates on the (lack of) diversity of representatives, particularly women; and fed into debates about stimulating voting and enhancing political literacy. The research continues to develop and have an impact, for example with recent work on citizenship and political education and the role of public petitions in elected bodies.