The Conversation: political books to inspire young people – chosen by experts

Amid a cycle of divided parties, political fragmentation and the UK going through a record number of prime ministers in recent years, young people could be forgiven for tuning out of politics altogether. Our experts have recommended nine books to strike teenagers and young adults’ interest in thinking politically.

Can You Run the Economy? by Joe Mayes (2025)

People often think politics is all about speeches and debates, but economics is where many of the biggest political decisions are made. That’s why I’d recommend Can You Run the Economy?; this interactive book lets you actively participate and “become” the chancellor. Readers make decisions on taxation, public spending and the wider economy while balancing advice from political advisers, responding to pressure from the prime minister and dealing with unexpected events that threaten to derail your plans.

Some decisions readers face in the book sound popular, but your fictional advisers question whether the public finances can actually support them. That’s what makes the book so engaging: every choice has consequences, and you’ll often find your advisers disagreeing on the best course of action. I even managed to get myself sacked as chancellor. As frustrating as this situation was, it perfectly demonstrated the point the book is trying to make: sensible economic decisions don’t always lead to political success. Sometimes the right economic choice can be the wrong political one.

By experiencing difficult trade-offs for themselves, young readers will quickly realise that politics isn’t about finding perfect solutions. It’s about balancing competing priorities and understanding the consequences of decisions.

Matthew Allen is a lecturer in economics

But What Can I Do? by Alastair Campbell (2023)

But What Can I Do? asks a timely question. Can individual citizens still make a meaningful difference in public life? The book shows that political engagement doesn’t only mean standing for office or joining a party. It can begin with supporting local campaigns, voting, volunteering or simply having better dinner conversations.

Campbell’s top ten reasons to consider going into politics are so persuasive that, for a fleeting moment, I wondered whether I had missed my true calling. Tip number ten: “If you make it to the top … you’re talked about and written about forever.” It’s certainly tempting, if not exactly modest. Yet at a moment when public debate is increasingly focused on safety in political life, and the UK is “trying out” yet another new prime minister, the reader may understandably pause before submitting any nomination papers.

By drawing on his considerable and heavily critiqued political experience, Campbell argues that democracy depends not only on elected representatives and institutions, but also on active, informed and persistent participation by citizens. The book is a useful reminder that politics should be the responsibility of all of us.

Francine Morris is a professor of Business and Community Engagement