James Sloam is Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway University. He has published extensively on issues relating to youth participation in democracy, including recent books on youth and elections in the UK, Europe and the United States (Palgrave 2019 and 2025). James has worked extensively with civil society, civic authorities and international organisations to empower young people from traditionally marginalised groups through civic and political engagement, including UNICEF UK. He developed the concept of ‘civic mentoring’ through work with the Mayor of London’s Peer Outreach Team, to amplify youth voice and improve the quality of public policy. His research with organisations ranging from Partnership for Young London to the United Nations (World Public Sector Report 2023) highlights practical steps for policy-makers to engage with young people. These insights are explored in depth in his forthcoming book, Turning Youth Voice into Sustainable Public Policy (Bristol University Press 2025). James’ research has also analysed the relationship between education and democracy, contributing to the recent ACT report Young people and citizenship education: The impact of Citizenship on young people’s democratic engagement and participation.