I am a social scientist whose work is draws from and seeks to contribute to political science, sociology, public administration, development studies and philosophy.

I am Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of East Anglia UK. I am also co-Director of the Electoral Integrity Project and Editor-in-Chief of the multi-disciplinary, social sciences journal Policy Studies.

I have held positions at the University of Sydney, the John W. Kluge Center in the Library of Congress, Washington D.C., USA, Swansea University, UK and International IDEA, Sweden.

My research focuses on:

• electoral integrity and policy-orientated solutions for improving elections
• concepts of democracy and democratic backsliding
• political leadership
• public policy and theories of policy change
• critical realism and political science

You’ll find some of my work in journals such as International Political Science Review, Democratization, Electoral Studies, Government and Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs, and the British Journal of Politics and International Relations. I am the author or co-editor of eight books including: Elite Statecraft and Election Administration (Palgrave, 2012), Comparative Electoral Management (Routledge, 2020), Building Inclusive Elections (Routledge, 2020); and The Trump Administration (Routledge, 2022). Forthcoming books include:

• Oxford Handbook of Electoral Integrity (Oxford University Press)
• What is Electoral Integrity? Election Quality in an Age of Complexity (Cambridge University Press)
• Democracy Around the World: An Introduction (Sage)
• Real Democracy: Empowerment and Equality Around the World (Manchester University Press). This develops the real democracy approach recently set out in New Political Science.
• Electoral Reform: Democratic Principles and Global Practice (Oxford University Press).

I have written commissioned policy reports for national and international organisations, and collaborated with organisations such as: International IDEA, IFES, the Carter Center, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Venice Commission, Elections Canada, Electoral Commission of South Africa and the UK FCDO. I have regularly given invited evidence to many Parliamentary committees. I was previously Senior Fellow to the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Democratic Participation and been an invited speaker around the world including at Harvard University and for the UNDP.

My research has been externally funded by the British Academy, Leverhulme Trust, AHRC, ESRC, Nuffield Foundation, SSHRC, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, UK Electoral Commission and the McDougall Trust. I have received awards in recognition of the policy impact of my work.

I am a football addict and qualified UEFA coach. When not researching, writing and teaching I am on the touchline coaching or supporting local teams in Norfolk.

Current Projects

I am currently writing on:

• Conceptualising and measuring electoral integrity as part of a book for Cambridge University Press, with Holly Ann Garnett.
• Editing the Oxford Handbook of Electoral Integrity with Holly Ann Garnett.
• Conceptualising democracy and democratic backsliding with a book project for Manchester University Press. This develops the real democracy approach recently set out in New Political Science.
• Applied research on policies to improve elections such as voter registration reform, the politics and policy of electoral data, electoral observation and international electoral assistance.
• Editing a special issue of Policy Studies on Democratic Backsliding and Public Administration.

My research is all available through this website.  I am always happy to send over copies of papers of material and keen to receive policy and media requests.

RECENT ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Visiting Professor, London School of Economics and Political science	2025 -2025
Distinguished Fellow and Adjunct Professor, Queens University, Canada	2022-2025
Co-Director Electoral Integrity Project	2020-present
Editor in Chief, Policy Studies	2019-present
(Full) Professor of Policy and Public Policy, University of East Anglia, UK	2019-present
Visiting Scholar, International IDEA, Sweden	2020
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of East Anglia, UK	2012-2019
Senior Visiting Research Fellow, University of Sydney, Australia	2018
Lecturer in Politics, Swansea University, UK	2008-2012
British Research Council Scholar, John Kluge Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., USA	2007

EDUCATION

• BA Politics, University of York, UK

• MA Public Administration and Public Policy, University of York, UK

• PhD, Politics, University of York, UK

AWARDS

• Winner, International Engagement Award, International Center for Parliamentary Studies, November 2023
• Appointed as Distinguished Fellow and Adjunct Professor, Queens University, Canada, January 2022
• Winner University of East Anglia award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Policy, January 2020
• Runner-up, ESRC Impact award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Policy, June 2018
• Runner-up, University of East Anglia award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Policy, November 2017

PUBLIC ENGAGAGEMENT AND IMPACT

• 10 invited invitations to give oral evidence to UK Parliament parliamentary proceedings 2014-23 most recently: Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, September 2021; Joint Human Rights Select Committee, Spring 2021; Select Committee on Housing and Levelling Up, Spring 2023.
• Senior Fellow to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Democratic Participation, 2015 – 2020
• Expert advisor to the Welsh government, January 2019-June 2019
• 28 submissions of written evidence to parliamentary proceedings, 2012-21

INDICATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS

• UK Electoral Data, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, £11,000, November 2021-November 2022 (PI)
• Electoral Integrity Project, SSHRC Connection Grant, $191,000CAN, March 2021-March 2024 (co-PI)
• Covid and Elections, ESRC Covid Rapid Response, £106,000, November 2020-November 2021 (PI)
• Automatic Voter Registration, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, £10,000, January-June 2000 (PI)
• Electoral Integrity Project Senior Visiting Fellowship, University of Sydney $15,000AUS, Feb-June 2018 (PI).
• Electoral Management, SSHRC Connection Grant, $14,000CAN, August 2018-March 2019 (co-PI)
• Electoral Integrity Project Conference Grant, $4,000AUS, August 2018-March 2019 (PI).
• UK Poll Worker Survey, British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant, £10,000, August 2014-April 2016 (PI).
• Performance Standards in Elections, Nuffield Foundation Small Research Grant, £14,000, Spring 2011 (PI).

INDICATIVE MEDIA ACTIVITIES 2019-

Euro News, BBC Radio 1 FM, BBC Today Programme, CNN, Guardian, Independent, Telegraph, The Times, The Maker (Israel), Wired, Washington Post, Americas Quarterly, Times Radio.