The Policy Institute

Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

Britain now and then

Shifting beliefs and behaviours during the 20th and 21st centuries

Featured research, news & comment

18 April 2025

Homework, gender preferences, keeping fit and housework: data reveals societal changes since 1930s and 40s

The research underscores how everyday life changed significantly over the 20th and 21st centuries

27 February 2025

Just 6% of Gen Z – not over half – actually want a dictator, study finds

The findings counter recent claims of widespread support for authoritarian rule

21 March 2025

Youth mental health in decline: Canadians much more likely to blame cost of living than international peers

This is seen as a much bigger issue in Canada than in the UK or Australia

11 March 2025

Performance pay for civil servants – what does the evidence say?

Research is broadly positive about the impacts of such a move. But the details matter

Major projects

The UK in the World Values Survey

The Policy Institute leads the UK arm of one of the largest and most widely used social surveys…

Culture wars in the UK

Our major ongoing research programme explores the drivers and features of cultural division in the…

The future of higher education

New research, analysis and events dissecting the pressing challenges facing UK universities

Generations

Selfish Baby Boomers? "Snowflake" Millennials and Gen Z? Our Generations website tackles the…

Our units

School for Government

Providing world-class education to civic leadership

UK in a Changing Europe

A leading academic think tank providing analysis of the critical issues facing the UK

The Strand Group

Examining the institutions of British Government through teaching, research and events

Health and social care workforce research group

Producing vital research in the health and social care workforce field

Our evaluation teams

Our research areas

Study with us

Our Government Studies MA, run by the Strand Group, is the only course of its kind to go beyond the theory and apply an in-depth perspective to the personalities, policies and process involved in running the British state.

Students study modules developed with the likes of No. 10 Downing Street and HM Treasury and get the opportunity to learn directly from individuals who have worked at the heart of government, including former prime ministers and chancellors.

Find out more about our courses

King’s Parliamentary Research Internship Programme

The King’s Parliamentary Research Internship Programme is a unique opportunity for PhD and postdoctoral researchers to engage directly with the inner workings of parliament.

Established and overseen by Baroness Deborah Bull, in collaboration with the Policy Institute and King’s Careers & Employability, 10-month part-time internships support the work of parliamentarians in the House of Lords and are designed to give participants first-hand experience of how evidence and analysis can be used to inform policymaking, while peers gain valuable assistance from skilled researchers.

Find out more about the programme

Visiting faculty

The Policy Institute has built a network of visiting fellows and professors, including former civil servants, politicians, journalists and researchers, who give their time and expertise to the institute and wider King’s community. They are a valuable resource, playing a key role in strengthening the relationship between academia, policy and practice.