In addition, it is often argued that voice has a critical role to play in improving the quality of governance. In particular, people’s capacity to express and exercise their views has the potential to influence governance processes, making them more participatory and representative – especially of those who have been previously excluded or marginalised on the basis of gender, ethnicity, geography, or other IDENTITIES. By increasing demands for accountability and transparency, voice can also influence government priorities, provide an important corrective to public policy, and encourage consensus building on key issues of national concern. In order to better understand the different ways in which people express their political voice(s), and explore whether, how and why voice can become a catalyst for improvements in other areas of well-being, the Development Progress project at ODI has invited a number of leading thinkers to explore these issues in a SERIES of activities, including EVENTS and opinion pieces. The ANALYSIS below offers a synthesis of some of the key insights and lessons that have emerged, while the individual CONTRIBUTIONS canExplanation: