Key research themes
1. How do governance networks and multi-actor collaborations impact democratic accountability and legitimacy in public policy?
This research theme investigates the democratic challenges posed by collaborative, networked forms of governance in public policy, focusing on accountability, responsiveness, and legitimacy within complex institutional frameworks. As governance shifts from traditional vertical state control to horizontal, multi-actor networks involving governments, private sector, and civil society, managing democratic norms becomes difficult amid institutional complexity, veto points, social fragmentation, and transient projects. Understanding these challenges matters because democratic governance requires mechanisms to ensure that collective decisions remain accountable and legitimate in an interdependent and multi-level policy environment.
2. What are the political trade-offs inherent in democratic governance and policy-making, and how can they be balanced?
This theme explores the ubiquitous and intricate trade-offs faced by democratic governance in public policy, including tensions between efficiency and participation, responsibility and responsiveness, freedom and security, and economic versus social goals. Investigating these trade-offs is critical because democratic institutions must navigate competing demands that cannot be simultaneously maximized, impacting legitimacy, policy effectiveness, and social equity. Understanding methodological approaches to conceptualize, empirically measure, and moderate these trade-offs helps improve governance design under complex political realities.
3. How do identity, power, and interdisciplinarity influence democratic governance and public policy in the contemporary era?
This theme focuses on how identity politics, conceptualizations of power, and interdisciplinary approaches shape democratic governance dynamics and public policy framing today, especially amidst complex global challenges such as climate change, social polarization, and technological change. It examines how social identities are mobilized in political processes, how governance discourses incorporate power beyond domination, and the necessity for work across disciplines to address 'super wicked' problems threatening democratic institutions. This matters to scholars who seek to understand the socio-political undercurrents influencing policy acceptance, legitimacy, and innovation.