Introduction
I am a Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. I received my PhD from the European University Institute and have previously worked at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Warwick and Duke University. My research explores the process of policymaking in democracies and spans comparative political systems, executives, comparative and international political economy. In my book "Ideologues, Partisans and Loyalists" (Oxford University Press 2016), I investigate how politicians' own ideology and political clout matter for policy. My current projects investigate the relationship between political and economic inequality, the professionalization of politics, policy coordination and energy and health inequalities.
Expert
I work on political and economic Inequalities and political representation. This research agenda, which has already produced an OUP book, an original dataset on Ministerial Biographical Data in 18 countries over 60 years and several articles and working papers, seeks to understand economic and social inequality through descriptive representation in governments.
Other research projects include predicting and evaluating the policy role of technocratic appointments and policy expertise in government. For example, my book chapter Technocrats in Cabinets and their Policy Effects finds that appointing technocrat finance ministers has concrete policy effects for social welfare spending in West European countries.
A second and related collaborative project is on the role of policy coordination on energy inequalities and on just energy transition in economically developed democracies.
Other projects include the effect of party systems in policy reforms, the interaction between fiscal and monetary policy, the professionalisation of politics in parliamentary cabinets, the role of strong leaders in political parties among others.
Fields of expertise: Economic policy / inclusive economic development, Policy design and delivery, Reduction of inequalities / equity / poverty eradication