Democracy
We need democracies that unite us
Democracy needs to unite people, not divide fractured societies.
We can no longer assume that democracy will survive unchallenged even where it has long existed, much less gain ground in parts of the world that have resisted it so far.
Research has surged in response to the crisis, without yet managing to halt or even significantly slow the retreat. But it’s far too soon to give up.
We need a new approach.
For years the conversation has focused on apathy, with low voter engagement and participation cited as the key symptom of democratic decline. Yet many recent elections across the world have had record turnouts, reaching levels not seen for decades. Rather than improve our democracies, though, these unprecedented turnouts have been accompanied by yet more erosion.
Why? Because, as LSE researchers have shown, the problem we face is not apathy. It’s frustration and hopelessness. People today mobilise to vote against a contender rather than to vote enthusiastically for one. And while parties and the media grow more polarised, our research has uncovered a more complex dynamic among citizens. Younger voters, for example, aren’t just divided, they’re hostile - almost as negative about the people who vote like them as they are about those who vote differently.
At LSE, we’re building a global powerhouse that brings together over 20 different social science disciplines with design, technology, health and more, to spark the innovation democracy needs.
With your support LSE can shape the way forward.
Only LSE can harness the best political, creative and scientific minds to develop ideas and interventions that can rejuvenate our failing systems of popular government. Systems that are resilient, aspirational and inclusive, and that deliver better outcomes for everyone.
Imagine polling stations that people want to visit. Technology that amplifies voices like never before. The social sciences are our best route to effective solutions.
With your support, LSE will partner with governments worldwide to design and test tools that can unite citizens across perspectives, generations, and cultures - to Shape the World we all need.
If you would like to discuss how you could partner with us to shape our work on democracy, contact us at shapingtheworld@lse.ac.uk.
How LSE research is shaping the world.
Below are some examples of ground-breaking research that LSE is doing to engage citizens in the democratic process.
Improving the voter experience
Groundbreaking LSE research into the psychology of election participation has informed reforms to electoral practice around the world. The work shifted focus from the winners and losers to the point of view of the voter.
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Regulating the power of digital media
Vital LSE insight into the power of digital platforms such as Facebook and X has highlighted the need for new legal frameworks to manage their influence, ensuring media plurality for the digital age and protecting democratic processes.
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Elections are emotional
Elections and election night have deep and long-lasting meaning. LSE’s Electoral Psychology Observatory looks at the emotions and memories we form around elections and how the electoral experience can be improved, particularly for first-time voters.
Join inThere are many people like me waiting for an opportunity like this. And when we actually get here, the people that receive scholarships, we make really the best out of it. We want to be changemakers, we want to be people that really create a big change in their countries.
Outstanding students need your support to become the world leaders we all need
Donate to our Scholarship and Hardship Funds.
Shaping ideas for impact
Support new thinking and research into more aspirational, responsive, resilient and inclusive democracies.
In this short film, Professor Larry Kramer, LSE President and Vice Chancellor, explains why democracy is one of the global challenges our Shaping the World Campaign focuses on.
The world we have is fractured