UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY

Past editions archive

November 2023

The future of public services

Public services matter. Many tell us that the parties' policies on these issues are very important in helping them decide how to vote...

December 2022

What is the real cost of the cost of living crisis?

The cost of living crisis takes many forms. There’s the national crisis, the political crisis and the social crisis. In each case, social research has a vital...

December 2021

A great British recovery?

2021, like 2020, has been dominated by COVID-19. But it’s also the year in which the public and politicians have turned their attention to rebuilding the UK’s economy, society and public services. As the Omicron variant has shown, we certainly aren’t out of the pandemic yet – the latest REACT study from Ipsos MORI and Imperial College found...

April 2018

Putting people in the picture

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at a moment of change and, to some extent, crisis...

June 2017

Beyond populism

The rise of populism has become a global obsession in the last year, driven by the major upsets in Brexit and Donald Trump’s Presidential election victory...

February 2017

Global attitudes to health

Examining the state of health at both a national and global level, drawing together some of the research carried out by our Ipsos colleagues in 30 countries and across five continents.

April 2018

The death of polling?

The government's push to open up and improve the policy making process, and the very real challenges around the legitimacy of our democratic system.

July 2015

The perils of perception

Exploring the challenges associated with measuring and understanding the way people think and act.

December 2014

Bursting the bubble

Chris Wormald outlines how open policy making is taking root in various forms in Whitehall. Jill Rutter on the challenges of making the theory a reality. Paddy Ashdown warns of the huge challenges facing the legitimacy of our democratic system as it is currently structured.

July 2014

The power and perils of data

The potential for data to improve the way people live their lives, as well as the public perception of risks this greater reliance on data brings.

December 2013

Great Britain: The way we live now

We look at the way Britons live now and how our attitudes, values and behaviours compare with those in other countries.

October 2013

Generations

Explores the differing attitudes, values and expectations across generations, tracking how they change over time.

April 2013

Make it simple

We bring together some of the world's leading thinkers in social psychology and behavioural economics and researchers from the global Ipsos network to consider the impact these disciplines are having on public policy.

December 2013

Economic crises, election victories, new challenges

Consider the period of extraordinary change many nations have witnessed over the last few years, since the 2007/8 global economic crisis.

July 2012

Evolving public services, evolving public opinion

Considering public service reform in the UK, and the future challenges they face in meeting public expectations at a time of severe spending constraints.

May 2012

Austerity and growth: The balance of opinion

We bring together expert economic commentary and the latest on public confidence in the economy.

December 2011

An extraordinary year

How public opinion has been affected by the major events of an extraordinary year, and what it means for politicians, policy makers and public services in the future.

August 2011

Global attitudes to health

Examining the state of health at both a national and global level, drawing together some of the research carried out by our Ipsos colleagues in 30 countries and across five continents.

May 2011

National problems, local solutions

One year after the election of the Coalition government, Ipsos's latest Understanding Society explores the implications for local public services.

December 2010

Different world, same problems?

We look at what, if any, effect global economic, political and social challenges had on elections in 2010.

July 2010

Where next?

The role of government and the Big Society, how to deliver more for less through innovation, more involvemnet from charities and individual behaviour change, and how we engage the public in these difficult decisions.

December 2009

Swedish services for US taxes – public expectations vs the new age of austerity

Considering some of the ways in which central and local government can respond to the challenge of continuing to meet public expectations when public finances face their tightest squeeze for decades.

July 2009

The Perils of Perception

There is a difficulty in measuring people's perceptions. This newsletter provides a framework for developing a more sophisticated understanding of what drives public attitudes.

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