Research in Politics

Citizens, Communication and Political Actors

In recent times, circumstances have provoked renewed interest in the issues surrounding political actors, including asking what can be done about the apparent disengagement from conventional politics by citizens across the democratic world, how new forms of political communication might influence the relationship between citizens and other political actors, how terrorism has affected democratic politics, how the regulation of speech influences politics, how interest groups affect the democratic process, and whether institutional ‘engineering’ has any significant impact upon politics.

This research cluster focuses on the great diversity of political actors, including parties, candidates, voters, and the media, as well as members of legislatures, governments, and bureaucracies. We also focus on these actors’ interactions with one another and the implications of these interactions. While such research has historically included the analysis of elections, voting behaviour, party organisations, and civil servants, other related areas of study include political communication, deliberative democracy, and political leadership. Traditionally associated with the interactions of political actors are questions of citizenship, political engagement, and the rights and freedoms of citizens.

Drawing upon Glasgow’s existing strength in comparative politics, British and Scottish politics, political theory, and citizenship studies, this cluster engages with the College’s research themes ‘People, places, engagement and change’ and ‘Governance, policy, accountability and risk management’, as well as with the Economic and Social Research Council’s Strategic Challenges ‘Understanding Individual Behaviour’ and ‘Social Diversity and Population Dynamics’.

This research cluster is open to all academic staff members and research students who are interested in the above issues, using any methodological approach. Currently, members include:

For more information, please contact Thomas Lundberg.