Demos

Demos is Britain's leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events. We have spent over 20 years at the centre of the policy debate with an overarching mission to bring politics closer to people.

Our values

Demos has always been interested in power: how it works, and how to distribute it more equally throughout society. We believe in trusting people with decisions about their own lives and solving problems from the bottom-up.

We pride ourselves on working together with the people who are the focus of our research. Alongside quantitative research, Demos pioneers new forms of deliberative work, from citizens’ juries and ethnography to ground breaking social media analysis.

Why are we exciting?

Demos’ research covers across a wide range of policy areas – but our work is brought together under three core programmes:

Welfare and Public Services

In an age of austerity, budgets are shrinking yet demand for services like education, health and social care is rising. Policymakers must establish what people’s real priorities are – and learn to do more with less. This programme investigates those priorities through research on public attitudes to key areas of the welfare state.

Citizenship and Education

How do we build ‘everyday democracy’? This programme applies this question to our democratic institutions and new political movements, to neighbourhoods and communities, and at the individual level, investigates how civic and political capability, or character, develops.  explores the ideas and institutions that can help bring together a more fragmented society.

Centre for the Analysis of Social Media

The Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM) combines computer science with social science, to analyse social media. Its work seeks to develop social media analysis as a valid instrument of research that meets the needs of policy and decision-makers.