The Strategic Use of Election Violence. Roughly a quarter of national elections around the world are accompanied by the use of deadly violence. While the frequency of violence has remained almost constant for decades, researchers are only beginning to explore comparatively the myriad causes of election violence and what can be done to prevent it. Therefore, the proposed research focuses on answering two fundamental yet unanswered questions: why do various types of election violence occur, and wh ....The Strategic Use of Election Violence. Roughly a quarter of national elections around the world are accompanied by the use of deadly violence. While the frequency of violence has remained almost constant for decades, researchers are only beginning to explore comparatively the myriad causes of election violence and what can be done to prevent it. Therefore, the proposed research focuses on answering two fundamental yet unanswered questions: why do various types of election violence occur, and what interventions are most effective at preventing them? The research design centres on analysing data on specific election violence events (perpetrators, victims, and method) and data on election interventions to test hypotheses on underlying causes and effective interventions.Read moreRead less
Elections and enhancing political participation in Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq. Democracy comprises more than elections, but they are the primary vehicle for democratic participation. Through an evaluation of the current approaches to democratisation, this project examines electoral reform in Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq, in order to understand how political participation can be enhanced during times of political transition.