The Policy Institute

Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

London has fallen?

Misperceptions of crime, race and religion in the UK capital

The polarisation of trust in scientists

Trust is shaped by values, identity and politics

King's at party conferences

This autumn King's College London is hosting its largest-ever party conference programme. Across the annual gatherings of all five main parties, our panels will see King's experts, MPs, ministers, peers and leading commentators come together to discuss some of the key policy challenges facing this parliament, informed by findings from King’s research. We hope to see you there.

Find out more

Featured research, news & comment

Person sitting on the edge of a bed with two carers nearby, one of them looking in from the door to the room

28 September 2026

Public hugely underestimate likelihood of becoming unpaid carers – yet believe system would collapse without them

Most people see providing unpaid care as a societal responsibility

25 September 2026

New Labour's legacy: Labour supporters look back fondly – but think current government doing as well or better

Memories of New Labour vary sharply across party supporters

18 September 2026

Lib Dems most liked by political rivals

Supporters of other parties feel relatively warm towards them

4 September 2026

Reform UK supporters misunderstood on EU and taxes on wealthy – and seen as most driven by dislike of others, study finds

Reform is also the party people most want to block from power

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

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Our evaluation teams

Cash Lab

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.