Department of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy
Programmes Available for Supervision:
| PhD |
Research Interests:
His research focuses on the civic and political engagement of young people in established democracies, and strategies to involve young people in the making of public policy.
James' work highlights economic and social inequalities in political participation, and the benefits youth participation can have for generating a more inclusive and sustainable public policy.
He has worked with many regional, national and international organisations, including the Greater London Authority (Young Londoners Priorities for a Sustainable City, 2019), UK Government departments, the United Nations (World Public Sector Report, 2023) and youth representative groups (Pathways to Participation for Marginalised Young People, 2025), on how to make this work in practice.
His recent book Turning Youth Voice into Sustainable Public Policy: the promise of urban democracy (Bristol University Press/ Policy Press, 2025), is an in-depth examination of efforts to amplify the voices of youth from less well-off and traditionally marginalised groups in cities. James' 'civic mentoring model' provides a roadmap for delivering meaningful and inclusive participation that also increases the efficiency of public policy.
Another new book, Youthquakes and Aftershocks: Youth Political Participation in the UK, Europe and the United States (Springer Nature 2026, with Matt Henn and Ana Nunes), identifies new trends in youth political participation - young people remain interested in issues but are disillusioned with mainstream electoral politics, due to failures in public policy and communication. We examine in detail how this played out in the UK General Election and US Presidential Election in 2024, and in other recent elections in Europe and North America.
Previous publications have shed light on the relationship between youth, sustainability and democracy (Cities 2022, with Prof. Ben O'Loughlin) and the nature of the youth-led environmental movements (Youth Studies 2022, with Prof. Matt Henn & Prof. Sarah Pickard).
Key Words:
Political Participation, Young people, Citizenship Education, Public Policy, Co-Creation
Important Links:
| Contact Professor Sloam |
| Departmental Website |
| Professor Sloam's Research Profile |
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