UCL Uncovering Politics

Six prime ministers, a Brexit referendum, and an (unlawful) prorogation of parliament — it has been an extraordinary decade to lead the UCL Constitution Unit . Meg Russell steps back from that role and joins host Emily McTernan to reflect on a career spanning nearly three decades, from advising Robin Cook as Leader of the House of Commons to shaping parliamentary reform from the outside. Along the...

Parading — when members of the unionist community march to commemorate historical events such as the 1690 Battle of the Boyne — is one of the most visible expressions of Northern Ireland's deep social divisions. But does it actually inflame tensions between communities? A new study examines parading as a "contentious ritual", using survey data, interviews, and participant observation to find out....

Good policy depends on evidence, but the statistical methods behind the best research are complex and few policy-makers can master them in depth. So how do we equip people to engage critically with research without being trained statisticians? A new module on UCL's Masters programmes tackles exactly this, teaching students to think rigorously about what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from res...

Social media has a content problem. Some posts incite violence or hatred; others spread misinformation or promote self-harm. The instinctive response is removal, but is that always the right tool? A new paper argues that platforms should often demote rather than remove problematic content, reducing its visibility rather than taking it down entirely. Drawing on international human rights law, it se...

Courts are supposed to treat like cases alike. But research consistently finds that judges' backgrounds and beliefs can influence their decisions. Most research focuses on courts where individual votes are public, but what about in systems where only a collective judgment is published? A new study uses innovative statistical analysis of Swiss court data to shed light on exactly this problem, with...

Transparency is seen as a hallmark of democracy, yet some authoritarian states have real open government policies too. Why? New research suggests a striking answer: transparency may help non-democratic regimes maintain stability, by steering citizens towards official channels and away from protest. Joining host Alan Renwick is Dr Handi Li , Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the UCL Department of...

Most people see action on climate change as essential. But powerful lobbies continue to push the other way. Understanding what drives corporate opposition to climate policy therefore matters enormously. New research examines one underexplored factor: company ownership structures. Are publicly listed firms more likely to oppose climate action than privately held ones? Does it matter how concentrate...

In parts of the Global South, political elites have framed LGBTQ rights as a foreign, colonial agenda. So should advocates abandon universal rights language in favour of arguments rooted in local traditions and anti-colonial sentiment? A new study tests exactly this question using survey evidence from Zimbabwe — and finds clear support for the local approach. Host Alan Renwick is joined by the stu...

By 2030, more than a million people are expected to be living with dementia in the UK. It is among the most feared conditions — and yet a new book challenges the dominant tragedy narrative surrounding it, proposing instead a vision of social justice and equality for those living with the condition. What does it mean to treat someone with dementia as a social equal? How should care be reformed to b...

No woman has ever served as President of the United States. Only two women have ever been nominated as candidates for that office by one of the two main parties. So what is causing this persistent barrier, and how might it be overcome? These questions are taken up in a new article in The Political Quarterly , which examines the structural, cultural and political factors that have kept women from r...

Constitutional reform is a recurring theme in UK politics. Debates regularly surface about changing the electoral system, reforming the House of Lords, or redefining the role of the courts. These conversations often focus on the traditional institutions of the state: government, parliament and the judiciary. But is that focus too narrow? When considering how power operates in a modern democracy, s...

Much contemporary debate centres on the respective roles of judges and politicians. Should constitutions empower courts to decide questions about human rights, or should such matters be settled by elected representatives? And should the core rules of democracy be shielded from manipulation by those in power? These questions ultimately turn on how we understand the nature of constitutions themselve...

The European Convention on Human Rights is often seen as one of the defining achievements of post-war Europe. Designed to protect fundamental freedoms and uphold democratic values, it has shaped the legal landscape of the continent for more than seventy years. But it is also increasingly contested, sitting at the centre of debates about sovereignty, migration, democracy, and the limits of judicial...

Social media is woven into everyday life, yet growing concerns about its effects on mental health, public debate and personal wellbeing have led many to question whether it is worth staying online at all. With governments exploring age restrictions for younger users, and public discussion becoming increasingly polarised, is quitting social media the ethical choice? In this episode, Rob Simpson , A...

Modern democracies rest on elections. They are the main way voters are supposed to shape what governments do. In theory, elections ensure that public policy reflects what people want. But does that actually happen in practice? Political science has long been divided on this question. One side of the debate argues that elections can work as intended. Voters understand the difference between left an...

In this guest episode from Philosophically Speaking, Emily McTernan and Jeff Howard explore a provocative question. Can white men be discriminated against, and if so, should the law protect them in the same way it protects other groups? To help unpack this, they are joined by Professor Cécile Laborde, who discusses her recent work on structural inequality and the moral foundations of discriminatio...

News headlines are increasingly dominated by concerns about the harms young people face online. In late 2025, Australia introduced a ban preventing under-16s from accessing a range of major social media platforms. Here in the UK, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has publicly backed a similar approach, and at the time of recording there is widespread speculation that the UK government may be prepa...

For decades, political scientists believed that a person’s occupation was the strongest predictor of how they would vote. Manual, working-class jobs were associated with left-wing voting, while white-collar professions leaned right. In recent years, however, this class-based model has been challenged. Education level and age now often predict voting behaviour more accurately than occupation, along...

In today’s episode, we are joined by the author of a new book published by Princeton University Press. The book offers a bold reimagining of global justice, drawing on anticolonial thought to confront the unfinished work of decolonization. Rather than defending decolonization as a nationalist project, it advances a powerful vision of global social equality. Our guest is Dr. Shuk Ying Chan , Assist...

Democracy in the UK is under strain. Many voters feel deeply alienated from politics, believing that those elected to represent them often pursue narrow or personal interests rather than the public good. Political polarisation, intensified by changes in the media landscape, is undermining constructive debate. And for many citizens, it can feel as though money (rather than votes) is what really spe...

Our world faces a growing set of challenges that transcend national borders - from climate change and pandemic threats to the governance of emerging technologies and the protection of public goods. Yet political authority and decision making remain overwhelmingly rooted in sovereign states. How, then, can global challenges be tackled effectively? In this special episode, we turn to the concept of...

Climate change is exerting increasingly profound effects on societies across the globe.  Policy responses are often described as resting on three pillars. The first involves addressing the causes of climate change by reducing carbon emissions and improving carbon capture. Experts tend to refer to this as mitigation. The second concerns adapting to the climate impacts that are already unavoidable i...

It’s often said that when a government faces political trouble, nothing boosts public support quite like a threat to national security. History offers vivid examples — from the surge in backing for Margaret Thatcher during the 1982 Falklands War to the Bush administration’s post-9/11 unity wave. But can governments find other ways to rally citizens without invoking fear or conflict? In this episod...

In this episode, we explore a crucial yet often overlooked question: how does war affect people’s support for democracy? Around the world, conflicts continue to shape societies and political systems—but the impact on democratic values and attitudes remains complex and contested. Host Prof Alan Renwick is joined by Kristin Bakke , Professor of Political Science and International Relations at UCL, h...

Gaza is — often for tragic reasons — frequently in the headlines. In this episode, recorded on October 16, 2025, we take a step back from breaking news to explore Gaza’s deeper history: how the events of the 20th and 21st centuries have shaped the territory, its people, and its politics. Our guide through this complex and often painful story is Dr Julie Norman , Associate Professor in Politics and...