Parliament for the People? Public Knowledge, Interest and Perceptions of the Westminster Parliament

Abstract

There is a growing amount of evidence to support the contention that Britons are becoming increasingly disengaged from established politics. However, there has been little research about how the most traditional body of all-Parliament-fits into this picture of disenchantment. This article presents the key findings of Hansard Society commissioned polls as they relate to Parliament. They reveal very low levels of knowledge about Parliament but also suggest that roughly half of the population claims to have an interest in and a high regard for the institution-even if they do not think that it currently lives up to their ideals.