Our work in governance and conflict examines how citizens can be represented and governed fairly, as well as the impact of conflict and protracted crises on people’s lives.
We investigate public authority and the institutions and politics that shape it, in particular the recent increase of authoritarianism and the mobilisation against it. Crucial areas of exploration include equitable tax policies, civic action, and the impact of digital technologies on democracy and freedom.
Our research also seeks to better understand the effects of conflict on different development issues and articulate how states can provide social assistance to marginalised populations in times of crisis.
ICTD extends research partnership with WIEGO on informal sector taxation
25 July 2025
International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD)
An independent research centre focused on improving tax policy and administration in lower-income countries.
Learn more
Humanitarian Learning Centre
Bringing together high-quality analysis, dialogue and debate with accessible, operational learning to improve humanitarian response, practice and policy.
Learn more
Better Assistance in Crises Research (BASIC)
Examining why, how and when to use social protection approaches in different crisis contexts, to deliver more effective social assistance so that vulnerable people cope better with crises and meet their basic needs.
Learn more
Digital Authoritarianism
Contributing to arresting democratic regression across Africa by identifying, documenting and analysing existing and newly emerging elements of digital authoritarianism and the practices of digital citizenship that work best to mitigate or overcome them.
Learn more
Covid-19 Learning, Evidence and Research Programme in Bangladesh (CLEAR)
A 2.5 year FCDO-funded programme to support an evidence-informed Covid-19 response and recovery in Bangladesh.
Learn more
Economic democracy
Our work aims to show how at the same time as the processes of environmental decay, social deprivation and economic and political concentration are generating growing discontent, they are also creating opportunities to democratise the economy.
Read the blog series
MA Governance. Development and Public Policy
This degree provides you with a theoretical and practical understanding of debates on political change and how public authority is created and exercised.
Learn more
Explore our research
Find out more about our work in governance and conflict.
Sign up to our newsletters
Keep up to date by registering for one of our newsletters.
The existing wisdom on efforts to promote accountability highlights the importance of ‘thinking and working politically’ and moving from confrontational to collaborative approaches. This is particularly relevant given current trends, including closing civic space and…
July 2025
This Policy Briefing sets out how donors and aid organisations can improve the quantity and quality of their support in Sudan.
July 2025
We, as guest editors, are seeking expressions of interest for a special issue of Global Studies of Childhood, entitled Children as rights holders in the digital world. Interested contributors should send a 500 word abstract…
July 2025
Across diverse societies, coercion often hides behind cultural norms, religious expectations, legal systems, and gendered power structures. This book exposes a disturbing but overlooked form of abuse: ideologically motivated sexual grooming – the manipulation of…
July 2025