The Education of the British Political Elite, 1922–2022

• In Event: Social Mobility and Education across the Globe

Abstract

In democratic societies the role of the education system is considered crucially important. It is a critical element for adding value to human and social capital. The role played by the education system in the creation and reproduction of governing elites, and its countervailing potential to create a more meritocratic and egalitarian society, has been an enduring topic of concern, research and debate. However, many of these debates have been rendered opaque by an inability to quantitatively examine, and directly compare, the influence of elite formation systems. To help resolve these issues, we employ elite formation quantitative indices to directly and transparently compare the roles of the secondary school and higher education systems in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the formation of its political elite, over its century of existence, from 1922 to 2022.

Authors

• John W. Hogan, Technological University Dublin

• Sharon Mary Feeney, Technological University (TU) Dublin