The Audit of Political Engagement 7
The Audit of Political Engagement is an annual survey for the Hansard Society, measuring the nature and extent of political engagement among adults in Great Britain. The Audits include a series of key indicators which are measured annually or every three years, making it possible to track attitudes and behaviours over time. More detail can be found in the Hansard Society’s report.
MPs expenses scandal has had less impact than might be expected
Several months after the height of the expenses scandal, the public’s attitudes to politics have changed less than might perhaps be expected. But this is likely to provide little comfort for MPs: the public’s trust and satisfaction with them were already low. As the report discusses in more detail, the scandal surrounding MPs expenses appears to have confirmed the public’s already negative views, rather than fundamentally altering them.
Exploring the gap between feeling a duty and actually casting a vote
While three quarters (76%) of the public agree it is their duty to vote, only just over half (54%) say they would be ‘absolutely certain’ to do so in an immediate general election.
The report examines how the size of this gap varies for eight distinct groups in the British population. The groups have been defined based on their political knowledge, behaviour, attitudes and the level and nature of engagement with the political process.
Survey details Audit of Political Engagement 7 (APE 7) results are based on 1,156 adults aged 18+ in Great Britain. Interviewed face-to-face in home between 13 - 19 November 2009. Data are weighted to the profile of the population.