UCL Uncovering Politics

In this episode, host Alan Renwick explores the principles of democracy and how political institutions might be organised to deliver more effectively on democratic values.
Our guest is Claudia Landwehr, Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, who recently visited UCL to work on a book addressing these fundamental questions.
Mentioned in this episode:
Democracy for Real People: Institutional Design for Equal Deliberative Responsiveness by Claudia Landwehr and Armin Schäfer. Forthcoming.

In this episode of UCL Uncovering Politics, our new co-host Dr Julia de Romémont explores how elected policymakers approach decisions about public service delivery, and whether their preferences reflect the public interest or their own electoral incentives.
Previous research suggests that financial pressures can encourage greater private-sector involvement, while policymakers are more likely to claim credit for services when the government’s role in delivery is clear. But what drives individual policymakers’ preferences when choosing between different delivery arrangements?
Julia is joined by Dr Eleanor Woodhouse, Associate Professor in Public Policy in UCL’s Department of Political Science, to discuss a survey experiment with local policymakers in the United States. The study examines how different models of service delivery, public, private and public–private partnerships, shape policymakers’ expectations of service performance and their ability to claim credit.
Mentioned in this episode:
Policymakers' Preferences Over Public–Private Modes of Service Delivery and Credit-Claiming: Experimental Evidence, by Eleanor Woodhouse, Paolo Belardinelli and Nathan Lee.

In democratic countries, foreign policy is often assumed to be shaped, at least in part, by public preferences. But that raises an important question: do policymakers have an accurate understanding of public opinion?
Research on domestic policy suggests that political elites can significantly misjudge what the public thinks, despite the abundance of polling and other sources of information available to them. But until recently, we have known much less about whether the same problem applies to foreign policy.
In this episode, we explore new research examining both American public opinion on foreign policy and policymakers’ perceptions of that opinion. The findings offer new insights into the relationship between citizens and political elites — and into how misunderstandings about public preferences might shape foreign policy decisions.
Joining us is Dr Jonathan Monten, Associate Professor in Political Science at the UCL Department of Political Science and co-author of the study.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kertzer JD, Busby J, Monten J, Tama J, Kafura C. Elite Misperceptions in Foreign Policy. British Journal of Political Science.

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 way, they discuss what this turbulent period reveals about the fragility of British democracy, the erosion of constitutional norms, and who is ultimately responsible for protecting our political system.

Mentioned in this episode:

Meg Russell's valedictory lecture

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. The results offer fresh insight into identity, conflict, and inter-group relations in a divided society.

Joining host Alan Renwick are three of the article's authors: Kristin Bakke, Kit Rickard, and Giovanni Hollenweger.

Mentioned in this episode:

Contentious Rituals and Intergroup Relations: Parading in Northern Ireland by Kit Rickard, Giovanni Hollenweger, Sigrid Weber, and Kristin M. Bakke, British Journal of Political Science.