Publications
Read Power's evidence and download publications, research papers and internal documents.
Witness Sessions
Research Interviews
Other Research
Commission Briefings
Witness Sessions
In 2005 POWER held a series of hearings with individual witnesses as part of its evidence-gathering programme. Witness Sessions were held around the country and were open to the public.
Visit the Witness Sessions archive.
Research Interviews
The POWER Commission met thirty-four witnesses face to face via Witness Sessions. To expand the quantity and quality of original evidence available to the Inquiry, the POWER research team conducted 143 interviews with witnesses selected by the Commissioners. These ‘interview witnesses’ included senior politicians and those working at the grassroots of political activity, with a focus on practitioners rather than academic and policy specialists. Evidence from the interviews was summarised and collated and can be found in the documents on the Our Evidence part of the website.
Other Research
- Democratic innovations: POWER commissioned research to look at the most exciting innovations in democratic participation from across the world. Beyond the Ballot - 57 democratic innovations from around the world collates, describes, assesses and draws lessons from the most exciting innovations in democratic participation from around the world. Download PDF of Beyond the Ballot. A hard copy is available for £6.00 (including p&p) from York Publishing Distribution. Address: 64 Hallfield Road, York Y031 7ZQ; Email: orders@yps-publishing.co.uk; Phone: 01904 431213. This project was undertaken by Dr Graham Smith, University of Southampton.
- General Election 2005: POWER conducted a survey of over 1,000 non-voters immediately after the General Election. Read a summary of our findings here.
- Citizens' Panel: A panel of thirty citizens met alongside the POWER Commission
to discuss the Inquiry's evidence, consider its recommendations and develop recommendations of its own.
The panel was randomly selected from the population of Newcastle-Gateshead.
Exploring attitudes to politics and political participation
Exploring attitudes to elections and political actors
Assessing recommendations for change - Local activism: The local parties project’s central focus was to explore what political and community activists think of their local parties and local party activists. It also looked at whether and how local parties could forge links with or attract such individuals.
The work was based on three workshops - in Birmingham, Glasow and Somerset. The workshops involved people active in parties, active in politics but not parties, and active in their communities but in a non-political context. One of the workshops recruited exclusively from within black and minority ethnic communities.
This project was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Download:
Findings from the Local Political Parties and Local Activists project
Commission Briefings
- The Decline in Political Participation in Britain: An Introduction
Download PDF - The Causes of the Decline in Electoral Activity in Britain:
A Literature Review
Download PDF - Analytical Approach and Research Programme: Initial proposal
Download PDF
