DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

Democracies are not to be taken for granted and are in constant evolution. They gain strength, but also face threats at the local, national, and international levels. For instance, the past couple of decades saw the emergence of political parties and movements that openly challenge key principles of liberal democracy and threaten the rule of law. In addition, governments experience difficulties in implementing policies and look for a balance between collective decisions and local participation.

These developments result in a strained relationship between elected representatives, the state, and citizens, leading to increasing levels of public distrust. This presents a challenge to good governance at all levels.

The Democracy & Governance research theme is a network of interdisciplinary experts working on these issues. The theme covers topics such as deliberative democracy, transparency and accountability in public governance, populism and extremism, and transnational cooperation, to address global risks and challenges. Our members’ expertise covers all levels of governance–from local to international–and links among them.

Research groups 

Democracy and Governance operates on a bottom-up approach, with research groups focusing on specific matters that fall under the umbrella of the theme. You'll find our research groups in the menu on the left.

Theme governance

Research groups coordinators are ex officio members of the Democracy and Governance steering committee, chaired by the theme director Dr Piero Tortola.

In leading the Democracy and Governance theme, the steering committee and theme director are also assisted by an advisory board composed of the following members: 

• Prof. dr. Kees Aarts (Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences)

• Dr. Stefan Couperus (Faculty of Arts)

• Prof. dr. Solke Munneke (Faculty of Law)

• Dr. Marc Pauly (Faculty of Philosophy)

• Prof. dr. Caspar van den Bergh (Campus Fryslan)

• Prof. dr. Dirk Jan Wolffram (Faculty of Arts)

• Dr. Élise Rouméas (Campus Fryslan)

Get involved!

If you are interested in the activities of the Democracy and Governance research theme, or want to contribute by establishing a new research group or otherwise, do not hesitate to contact the theme director Piero Tortola at p.d.tortola rug.nl .