Building on the seminal insights of Albert O. Hirschman, the Centre's research activities explore everyday practices of democratic participation and the changing forms of civic engagement that produce new configurations of "voice" and "exit". We are interested in understanding the changing nature of public protest, whether in the streets or on the internet; the increasing use of law to render governments accountable; and the form and relevance of individual democratic participation as the divide between public and private political lives erodes.
Our research is organised along three main themes:
- Transformation of economies, inequalities, and solidarities
- Technology, democratic innovation, and media
- Democratic governance, participation, and accountability
