Promoting democracy: the challenge of raising citizen participation

The challenge of promoting interest in parliamentary democracy is changing. Parliaments in recent decades have focused on improving access for the under-represented, such as women, and the uninvolved – young people, the disabled and minorities, whether regional, economic, ethnic or religious groups. Today parliaments still seek ways to involve those groups; but now, faced with declining voting figures, they also strive to retain the interest of those who traditionally followed politics but are drifting away from parliament, political party membership and voting booths. One way to reach both groups is to make MPs more effective representatives of the people.