Audit of Political Engagement 11, 2013

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P>The <i>Audit of Political Engagement</i> is a time-series study providing an annual benchmark to measure political engagement in Great Britain, gauging public opinion about politics and the political system, and more broadly the general health of our democracy. Each Audit report presents the findings from a public opinion survey, providing detailed commentary on a range of measures that have been chosen as key measures of political engagement. Repeating questions in successive years enables us to chronicle the public’s responses year on year and track the direction and magnitude of change since the Audit was first published in 2004, building trend data on public attitudes to key aspects of our democracy. <br>
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The Audit looks at core inter-locking areas that are known as vital facets, or 'building blocks', of political engagement. Given the multi-dimensional nature of political engagement, the indicators chosen are not exhaustive, but in capturing aspects of public behaviour, knowledge, opinions, attitudes and values towards politics they help us understand the drivers of political engagement and the relationships between them. Across the Audit series several 'core' indicator questions have been asked each year, supplemented by a range of thematic and topical questions, some of which are re-visited on two- or three-year cycles.<br>
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Further information about the survey series is available from the Hansard Society <a href="https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/research/audit-of-political-engagement" title="Audit of Political Engagement">Audit of Political Engagement</a> webpages.<br>
<br><br>The <i>Audit of Political Engagement 11, 2013</i> (APE 11) explored public attitudes to the conduct of politicians generally and the accountability of MPs in particular. It builds on earlier focus group research talking to members of the public about their perceptions of the political system and what they would most like to change in order to improve it. There was a strong preference in the focus groups, confirmed in APE 10, for MPs to be more accountable. The APE 11 survey examined ideas for what greater accountability might look like in practice. The survey also investigated attitudes to Prime Minister's Question Time (PMQs), finding that the public are far from engaged or content with the most high-profile element of Parliament’s work.<br>
<br><br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR>The core indicators of political engagement covered in every survey aim to discover the percentage of people who:<ul><li>feel they know about politics</li><li>are interested in politics;</li><li>are absolutely certain to vote at an immediate general election</li><li>have undertaken a range of political activities</li><li>believe that getting involved in politics is effective</li><li>think that the present system of governing works well</li></ul>Questions asked regularly but not every year aim to discover the percentage of people who:<ul><li>are satisfied with MPs in general, with their own MP, with the UK Parliament</li><li>agree that the UK Parliament holds government to account, encourages public involvement in politics, is essential to our democracy, debates and makes decision on issues that matter to me</li><li>feel involved in local/national decision-making</li><li>want to be involved in local/national decision-making</li></ul><br>Topics covered in APE 11, 2013 include: electoral registration; feelings of partisanship; consumption of and attitudes to Prime Minister's Question Time (PMQs); perceptions of politicians; preferred mechanisms for accountability of MPs; attitudes to the European Parliament elections.<br>