The British first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP; often referred to as single member plurality) is long past its sell by date. The most recent wave of democratic consolidation across East and Central Europe, Central and Southern America, and parts of Africa have witnessed an explosion of interest in electoral system design. And some established democracies –…
Eamon Gilmore’s uplitfting ‘One Ireland’ speech to his party conference (http://bit.ly/crTAaq) this weekend ended with a set of interesting proposals for political, public sector and constitutional reform, with some pretty novel ideas such as the one to establish a Department of Public Service Reform. The major plus was just how many of the issues that…
Some interesting discussion in the Fruits and Votes blog, which among other things argues that my call for a smaller Dail is off the mark – http://bit.ly/dnDCDQ
by Michael Marsh, TCD Micheal Martin admitted on RTE today that an election now would devastate FF if current poll estimates proved to be accurate. At the same time, perhaps paradoxically, speculation about the likelihood of a collapse in the government’s Dáil support seems to have intensified. While Green support looks more firm as their…
[The following is an edited summary of my remarks to the Political Reform conference, hosted by University College Cork, March 26 2010.] It is good to see that political reform is now on the agenda of some of our political leaders. More and more people are calling for large-scale political reform, with an ever-growing list…
POLITICAL REFORM IN IRELAND Friday, 26th March 2010 Council Room, North Wing University College Cork Conference Programme 10.00 –10.15 Registration Tea and Coffee 10.15 – 10.30 Conference Opening Prof Neil Collins – University College Cork 10:30 –12:30: Session One Reform Please! Chair: Noel Whelan – The Irish Times Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dara Murphy…
The recent financial crisis and meltdown of the Irish economy has sharpened focus on the shape and operation of our political system. A long line of politicians, commentators and academics have now emerged, notably George Lee, Dan O’Brien (The Economist), Noel Whelan, Dr Garret FitzGerald and Professor Gary Murphy. UCC will extend the debate with…
Irish Politics Forum 