A study found that public engagement in politics was not reduced by conflict during Question Time. Australian MPs were found to be the most disorderly compared to their counterparts in other parliaments. Professor Philip Cowley of the School of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London conducted the study to examine whether conflict during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) had worsened over time in the UK, and related parliamentary dynamics in Australia, Canada, and Ireland.
The UK Parliament was found to not rank as the worst based on objective measures despite public perception that PMQs are rowdy. The study also looked at incidents requiring the Speaker to intervene across the four parliaments. Australia had the highest incidents, followed by Ireland and the UK. The nature of questions asked in parliament was also examined, with Australia and the UK lagging behind Canada in terms of questions designed to create conflict.
Despite the assumption that watching politicians misbehave causes disengagement, other research cited by Professor Cowley found that it did not reduce satisfaction with politics and could boost confidence in political comprehension. Additionally, it was noted that adversarial exchanges in parliaments could lead to higher levels of engagement.