Has something gone wrong with democracy? If so, what is the role of research and education? We explore the impacts and relevance of the current ‘historical conjuncture’ of economic, social and political circumstances for research and educational projects that can make a difference to people’s lives both locally and globally. From critical debates (e.g., Harvey, Wallerstein, Arrighi) we argue there has been an erosion of public space through neo-liberal market practices whether these are conceived of as neo-conservative, centre-right, ‘third way’, or other forms of ‘leadership democracy’ that manipulate ‘representation through the management of public opinion or through coercion. Research into ‘social movements’ (to be reported in Schostak et al 2012) we argue reveals a breakdown of the historic ‘public spaces’ of collective learning, knowledge sharing and democratic practice. Our aim then is to map what has gone wrong in the relation between democracy, education and research in order to frame the agenda that research and education might play in rethinking education for a renewal of democracy in the creation of ‘public spaces for learning and education’ and social justice. Schostak, J.f., Goodson, I., Facer, K., Fielding, M. (2012) Democracy, Education and Research: The Conditions of Social Change, Routledge