Posts Tagged parliament
Legislative term limits give public opinion a power-up
Posted by Nick Cowen in America, Politics on 14/10/2011
Via the Monkey Cage, we learn of a new and interesting academic study examining how public opinion effects law-making across US states. The results offer some tentative support for a theory put forward in our report, Total Recall. There we argued that direct democratic mechanisms can complement representative democracy but primarily as a way to limit the powers of elected officials.
Will MPs vote with their Tweet?
Posted by Nick Cowen in Politics on 29/03/2011
By Tom Shakhli
Poor old social media. You would think that having put us back in touch with our old school friends, broadened our work networks, and facilitated a revolution or two, we would cut it some slack and be content to take a step back and marvel as it continues to sweep through the world. To oppose it as a concept, goes the argument, is to be elitist, out-of-touch, or an opponent of modernisation. Hopefully this accusation does not inhibit us from questioning it on a case-by-case basis, which is the premise of this post. Most people have benefited from having a Facebook account, looking for jobs on LinkedIn, and despite its futility, spending too much time on YouTube. However, hidden in the news this week was something that perhaps should make us pause and think about whether the juggernaut of social media should be given a free, access-all-areas pass: the recommendation that MPs be allowed to use Twitter in the chamber of the House of Commons.
