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Title

Hansard Society audit, 2019: almost half feel they have no influence over national decisions

Date
8 April 2019
Relevant topic(s)
Democracy and participationDirect and representative democracy

What happened?

The Hansard Society's Audit of Political Engagement 16, published in April 2019 during the Brexit crisis, asked people how much influence they felt they had over decisions made for the country as a whole.

Almost half said they had none at all, the highest figure in the Audit series.

  • 47% of people felt they had no influence at all over national decision-making.
  • The Electoral Reform Society described the 47% figure as a high for the Audit series.
  • 18% strongly disagreed that getting involved in politics can change the way the UK is run.
  • The Audit itself said that 'beneath the surface, the strongest feelings of powerlessness and disengagement are intensifying'.
  • The report was published on 8 April 2019.

Why is it politically significant?

The figures support the argument that representative democracy opens a gap between rulers and ruled: many citizens do not feel that elections and representatives give them a real say over national decisions.

How to use

Which arguments does it support?

Representation leaves people feeling powerless

Reasoning
Citizens choose representatives but do not take decisions themselves.
Evidence
47% felt they had no influence at all over national decision-making.
How it supports the argument
This was the highest figure in the Audit series.

There is a participation crisis

Reasoning
Feeling powerless discourages people from taking part.
Evidence
18% strongly disagreed that involvement can change the way the UK is run.
How it supports the argument
The Audit said feelings of powerlessness and disengagement were intensifying.

Which counterarguments exist?

Limits of the evidence

Feelings are not facts

The survey measures how much influence people feel they have, not how much they actually have.

Other explanations

A crisis of the moment

The survey was taken during the Brexit deadlock in Parliament, which may have deepened frustration with representatives at that time.

Concepts and connections

Sources and verification

Event8 April 2019
Added to bank11 November 2026
Last checked11 November 2026
Next check due11 May 2027
  1. 1
    Publisher Electoral Reform SocietyPublished 25 May 2019Type ResearchChecked 4 November 2026
    Opened
  2. 3
    Publisher Hansard SocietyPublished 8 April 2019Type ResearchChecked 4 November 2026
    Opened
  3. 2
    Publisher Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST)Published not statedType OfficialChecked 4 November 2026
    Opened

About this example

Is it still current?

Concluded

The development has ended or been reversed, but remains useful evidence.

Why it is in the bank

Survey evidence for the case for direct democracy, and against representation.

  • ✓Relevance to the specification
  • ✓Strength and reliability of the evidence
  • ✓Importance to a wider political debate
  • ✓Usefulness in evaluative essays
  • ✓Connections to other topics
  • ✓Sufficiently current
  • ✓Adds something new to the bank

Editorial status

Approved

Signed off for students.

Origin: AI draft (Claude) · Reviewer: Editor

Every fact on this page has been checked against original sources.