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Politics and International Research (UoA19)
Politics at Newcastle University has a long-standing reputation for delivering outstanding research. Topics covered include political participation, security and social justice. We embrace interdisciplinarity as an organic feature of our research culture.
Research culture
Politics at Newcastle University has a long-standing reputation for delivering outstanding research.
Topics covered include:
- political participation
- security
- social justice
We embrace interdisciplinarity as an organic feature of our research culture.
We are part of the School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology at Newcastle University. This creates many collaborative opportunities for our diverse body of work.
Significant growth
During this REF cycle, we have taken major steps forward as a subject area. Our politics and international relations research capacity has expanded.
We can now consolidate our established areas of excellence and invest in emerging areas of pioneering research.
Key elements of our transformation include:
- staff growth from 24.6FTE to 34.1FTE (39% increase) with investment (79% of appointments) in outstanding early career researchers
- a major shift in our gender composition (from 19% to 40% female colleagues)
- a nearly four-fold increase in external research funding from £309k (2014) to £1,135,605 (2021)
- a six-fold increase in internal research and impact investment (over £814k in total)
- a significant rise in the proportion of research outputs in top 10 academic journals
- closer collaboration with over 3,000 diverse non-academic partners and beneficiaries
Improved infrastructure
Since 2014, we have invested in staff growth and our physical infrastructure.
In January 2020, we moved into larger accommodation in the refurbished Daysh Building, an investment of £60m.
Our strategic research agenda is to advance world-leading politics and international research and scholarship. We achieve this through productive mutual engagement with diverse stakeholders.
This ambition sits at the heart of the Geography, Politics, and Sociology School Research Strategy. It also aligns with the University's renewed Vision and Strategy (2019).
Strategic approach
Our approach rests on four pillars:
- valuing methodological and theoretical pluralism and interdisciplinarity
- a commitment to advancing research in political participation, security, and social justice
- embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion in all our activities
- valuing research impact at social, cultural, and creative levels, creating change in the economy and politics
We have made a very strong contribution to the vitality and sustainability of the wider discipline.
Our staff have served in executive roles in six major professional associations. They have also convened or served on executive committees in 21 major networks and specialist groups.
We have edited 10 journals and organised 54 conferences and workshops during the latest REF cycle.
Research case studies
Supporting Improvements in Electoral Integrity in Britain
Recently there has been considerable concern about electoral integrity worldwide. This has resulted in politicised debates, including in Britain.
Alistair Clark’s research has examined the drivers of high-quality electoral administration. He has conducted the first major surveys of polling station workers in the UK.
His research has:
- influenced the methodology used by the Electoral Commission in evaluating voter identification pilots
- informed the recommendations of two major reports on the 2016 EU referendum
- enabled parliamentary committees and individual parliamentarians to hold government accountable for the funding of electoral administration
- contributed to political debate on voter registration and electoral fraud
Shaping the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
In 2015, 193 United Nations member states adopted the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was at its core.
Long’s normative research on universal principles of global justice has had an impressive impact.
It influenced the advocacy campaign of an international coalition of 3,000 civil society organisations. This was during the run-up to and during the UN negotiations on the 2030 Agenda.
It also influenced the interpretation of the key normative principles for the SDG review process in the final text of the 2030 Agenda.
The research had a significant impact on processes of review and accountability for the SDGs in the UK. It changed the ways in which the UK has implemented the SDGs and reported on their progress.
The research influenced how parliament has interrogated that reporting.
Improving the Quality of Democracy: Deliberative Innovations and Parliaments
Our pioneering research combines normative political theory with institutional design.
It focuses on innovations to make policy-making more inclusive, respectful and focused on the common good.
Between 2016 and 2020 it had a significant impact on the quality of democracy in the UK.
It enabled the Northern Ireland (NI) Assembly to reach an agreement on how the Assembly’s veto procedures would be reformed. It reduced the risk of legislative deadlock and improved the quality of legislative deliberation.
It enabled the UK and Scottish Parliaments to improve the quality of deliberation and public engagement. They achived this through the introduction of deliberative mini-publics into Committee inquiries. This improved the knowledge and the understanding of mini-publics among MPs, MSPs and Committee clerks.
It also facilitated more effective campaigning by many UK-based civil society groups and public bodies. This meant a wider use of mini-publics by parliaments and providers of public services.