Restructuring The Constitution: A Hobbesian Thought Experiment
This week we’re looking at the agenda of constitutional reform. What exactly should that agenda cover, and should it look beyond government, parliament and courts?
UCL Uncovering Politics · Alan Renwick, Daniel Hind
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Show Notes
Constitutional reform is a recurring theme in UK politics. Debates regularly surface about changing the electoral system, reforming the House of Lords, or redefining the role of the courts. These conversations often focus on the traditional institutions of the state: government, parliament and the judiciary.
But is that focus too narrow? When considering how power operates in a modern democracy, should constitutional thinking extend beyond these formal branches of government? Might institutions such as the media, financial sector or other centres of influence also deserve attention when we discuss constitutional design?
This week, Daniel Hind joins host Alan Renwick to explore a fresh argument that the constitutional reform agenda needs to be broadened. The discussion is based on a new article in The Political Quarterly that calls for a more expansive understanding of how democratic power should be structured and overseen.
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