Suchergebnisse

Examines public perceptions of the qualities Members of Parliament (MPs) should have. Data were obtained from the March 2006 Audit of Political Engagement conducted by the Hansard Society for Parliamentary Government. Independence of mind was the quality most often cited by respondents (58 percent) as important for MPs to have. This represented both the largest social class differential & the greatest change in public opinion since 1983 when only 37 percent of the respondents saw independent-mindedness as desirable. Public perceptions of the experience politicians need have remained relatively static; only 50 percent regard a good education as important for MPs & most respondents did not see business or trade union experience as vital. Forty-three percent of the respondents identified knowing what being poor means as consequential in 2006 as compared to 27 percent in 1983. Variations by gender, class, & race are discussed. Most attitudes have remained relatively consistent over the last 20 years. The citizens want MPs who are independent, empathic, & capable of being influenced by those they represent. Tables. J. Lindroth

A study of what ethnic minorities in Britain think about and how they engage in British politics. It considers the ways in which ethnic minorities resemble or differ from the white British population, and differences between different minority groups.