ResPublica | Think Tank | Phillip Blond | Big Society

British Civic Life

This workstream addresses the nature of civic association, community assets and cultural hubs, from a constitutional scale to our smallest institutions. This includes the importance of the family and other social intermediaries in cultivating values and citizenship, the social action and ethically instructive role of faith bodies and civic groups, and the role of the media in channelling civic participation at a local and national level.

Current and forthcoming work will build upon the ideas outlined in our past output which have had a continuing impact on the British policy landscape. Examples of our successes in 2012 include ResPublica's work on how the House of Lords can best reflect the diversity of British civil society, featuring contributions from Frank Field MP, Lord Nat Wei, and Bishop Tim Stevens, Convenor of the Lords Spiritual, amongst others. In partnership with the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services we launched a Commission on Youth to address young people's engagement with social institutions and civic identity. As part of our work on community interaction, we published a report which recommended that public policy should draw on existing social groups and membership networks to tackle social ills and achieve public good. In 2013 this workstream will encompass our research into the role of the Church of England and other faith groups, media outlets and heritage both within communities and as part of our national infrastructure.

Current Projects