Background

Introduction

Dr. Alistair Clark is Reader in Politics. His research interests revolve around political parties, party organisation, electoral integrity and administration, political participation and urban/local politics. Related interests include: comparative party systems and small party challenges; devolved and British party politics; voting behaviour and electoral systems; and quantitative survey research. Alistair Clark’s doctoral research, entitled ‘Local Parties, Participation and Campaigning in Post-Devolution Scotland’, won the 2007 Political Studies Association Arthur McDougall Prize for Elections, Electoral Systems and Representation. His research has been funded by the ESRC, the British Academy, the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.

Roles and Responsibilities

2013- School Executive Board

2013 - School PG Director

2012- Member of the UK Political Studies Association Executive 

2009-15  Deputy Editor, British Journal of Politics and International Relations

Qualifications

PG Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (PGCHET) (2009) Queen’s University Belfast

PhD (2006) Political Studies, University of Aberdeen

MRes (2003) Political Research, University of Aberdeen

MA (Hons) (2001) Politics and International Relations (First Class), University of Aberdeen

Previous positions

2007-2011: Lecturer in Political Science and Research Methods, School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, Queen’s University Belfast.

2005-2007: Research Fellow, Institute of Local Government Studies, University of Birmingham.

2015: Visiting Professor, Dept. of Political Science, LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy 

Memberships

2014-Present     Member, American Political Science Association 

2012-Present     Member, International Political Science Association (IPSA)

2010-Present     Fellow, Higher Education Academy

2009-Present     Member of Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI)

2007-Present     Member of PSA Italian Politics Specialist Group

2005-Present     Member of PSA Parliaments and Legislatures Specialist Group

2004-Present     Member of ECPR Standing Groups on Political Parties and Public Opinion and Voting Behaviour

2003-Present     Member of PSA Territorial Politics Specialist Group

2001-Present     Member of Political Studies Association, (PSA).

2001-Present     Member of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties (EPOP) Specialist Group of PSA.

Honours and Awards

Nominated (2010) for the Political Studies Association of Ireland Teaching and Learning Prize 

Political Studies Association (2007) Arthur McDougall Prize for the best dissertation in Elections, Electoral Systems and Representation.

Research

Research interests

Dr. Alistair Clark’s research interests revolve around electoral integrity and the quality of democracy, political parties, party organisation, political participation and urban/local politics. Related interests include: comparative party systems and small party challenges; devolved and British party politics; and voting behaviour and electoral systems. His research has been funded by the ESRC, the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust.

Current work

Dr. Clark’s research has focused around political parties and electoral politics, primarily at the local and regional level but also nationally. He is the author of Political Parties in the UK, published by Palgrave in 2012. His current work revolves around three strands.

Firstly, although often held up as a model of electoral integrity, recent controversies in Britain have suggested that this perception may not be wholly justified. Incidents casting doubt on the integrity of the electoral process have been evident across the UK, with one election court judge even likening the conduct and administration of postal voting in local elections to that of ‘a Banana republic’. The integrity of the electoral process can often be attributed in the first instance to issues around electoral administration. This research therefore assesses electoral integrity across Britain, examines the numerous challenges facing electoral administrators and highlights the potential consequences of these challenges for both public policy and electoral integrity in Britain and beyond.

Secondly, since devolution in 1999, the three main British parties – Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – have produced different versions of their UK general election manifesto for Scotland, Wales and Britain more generally. With Dr. Lynn Bennie (Aberdeen), the research assesses how these different manifestos differ, asking what such intra-party variation means for party strategies and their abilities to adapt to constitutional change. Whether these circumstances challenge the idea of manifestos granting parties ‘mandates’ across the UK is also examined. Initial analyses suggest that party manifestos serve a broader range of purposes under the UK’s multi-level polity than hitherto recognised.

Thirdly, minor parties have been proving attractive options for increasing numbers of voters in many different countries. Dr. Clark’s research has examined the rise and relevance of minor parties in both British and Irish politics leading to a range of publications on these themes. With Dr. Liam Weeks (Cork/Macquarie, Australia), recent research is examined the role and party system effects of minor parties in the aftermath of Ireland’s 2011 ‘earthquake’ elections. This followed up a co-edited previous special issue of Irish Political Studies (2010) on these themes and resulted in a co-edited volume Radical or Redundant: Minor Parties in Irish Politics published in late 2012.                 

Future research

Developing and continuing interests in comparative electoral integrity and the quality of democracy, urban/local politics and elections and local policy responsiveness; party organisation and territorial politics.      

Esteem Indicators

Trustee & Executive Member, UK Political Studies Association  

Deputy Editor, British Journal of Politics and International Relations

Grant Reviewer and Rapporteur for Economic and Social Research Council

Member, Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences Peer Review College

Accredited Election Observer, UK Electoral Commission

Academic referee for: Palgrave MacMillan;Pearson Education; Sage Publications; Party Politics; Electoral Studies, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies; Local Government Studies; Political Studies, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties; Politics and Policy; Representation; British Politics; Irish Political Studies; Politics; British Journal of Sociology    

2008-09 Convenor, EPOP Panels, PSA Annual Conference

2007-09 Convenor, PSA Local Politics Specialist Group

Political Studies Association (2007) Arthur McDougall Prize for the best dissertation in Elections, Electoral Systems and Representation.

Teaching

UNDERGRADUATE

POL3092 Political Parties and Elections in the UK (Module Leader)

POL3046/3047 Dissertation / Project

POL1047 Power, Participation and Democracy: Comparative Perspectives (Module Leader)

POL3011 Parliamentary Studies

Publications

• Clark A. The Cost of Democracy: The Determinants of Spending on the Public Administration of Elections. International Political Science Review 2019, (ePub ahead of Print).
• Bagenholm A, Clark A. Political Data in 2017. European Journal of Political Research Political Data Yearbook 2018, 57(1), 3-13.
• Clark A. Political Parties in the UK (Second Edition). Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
• Clark A, Bennie L. Parties, mandates and multilevel politics: Subnational variation in British general election manifestos. Party Politics 2018, 24(3), 253-264.
• Clark A. Changing the Rules of the Game? Continuity and Change in the UK Party System. In: K. Detterbeck & K. Stolz, ed. The End of Duopoly? The Transformation of the British Party System. Augsburg, Germany: Wissner Verlag, 2018, pp.56-75.
• Clark A. The relationship between political parties and their regulators. Party Politics 2017, 23(6), 646-656.
• Clark A. Identifying the determinants of electoral integrity and administration in advanced democracies: the case of Britain. European Political Science Review 2017, 9(3), 471-492.
• Clark A, James TS. Poll Workers. In: Norris, P; Nai, A, ed. Election Watchdogs: Transparency, Accountability and Integrity. New York, NY, USA: Oxford University Press, 2017, pp.144-166.
• Clark A, Martin T. An Audit of Transferable Skills Teaching in UK Politics Departments. European Political Science 2016, 15(3), 389-403.
• Clark A. Public Administration and the Integrity of the Electoral Process in British Elections. Public Administration 2015, 93(1), 86-102.
• Clark A. Investing in Electoral Management. In: P. Norris, R. Frank & F. Martinez I Coma, ed. Advancing Electoral Integrity. New York, USA: Oxford University Press, 2014, pp.165-188.
• Clark A. Second Time Lucky? The Continuing Adaptation of Voters and Parties to the Single Transferable Vote in Scotland. Representation 2013, 49(1), 55-68.
• Clark A. Radical, Redundant or Relevant? Minor Parties in Comparative and Systemic Perspective. In: Weeks, L., Clark, A, ed. Radical or Redundant? Minor Parties in Irish Politics. Dublin: History Press, 2012, pp.235-250.
• Weeks L, Clark A, ed. Radical or Redundant? Minor Parties in Irish Politics. Dublin: History Press, 2012.
• Clark A. Party Organisation and Concurrent Multi-Level Local Campaigning: The 2007 Scottish Elections under MMP and STV. Party Politics 2012, 18(4), 603-622.
• Clark A, Krebs TB. Elections and Policy Responsiveness. In: Mossberger, K., Clarke, S., John, P, ed. Oxford Handbook of Urban Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, pp.87-113.
• Clark A, Wilford R. Political Institutions, Engagement and Outreach: The Case of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Parliamentary Affairs 2012, 65(2), 380-403.
• Clark A. Political Parties in the UK. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, 2012.
• Clark A. Embedding Transferable Skills and Enhancing Student Learning in a Political Science Research Methods Module: Evidence from the UK. PS: Political Science and Politics 2011, 44(1), 135-139.
• Clark A. Breaking the Mould or Fiddling at the Edges? Ireland’s Minor Parties in Comparative and Systemic Perspective. Irish Political Studies 2010, 25(4), 661-680.
• Weeks L, Clark A, ed. 'Minor Parties in Irish Political Life', Special Issue of Irish Political Studies. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2010.
• Denver D, Clark A, Bennie L. Voter Reactions to a Preferential Ballot: The 2007 Scottish Local Elections. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties 2009, 19(3), 265-282.
• Copus C, Clark A, Reynaert H, Steyvers K. Minor Party and Independent Politics Beyond the Mainstream: Fluctuating Fortunes but a Permanent Presence. Parliamentary Affairs 2009, 62(1), 4-18.
• Clark A, Bennie L. Strategic Actors or Muddling Through? Political Parties, Local Campaigning and the Single Transferable Vote. Representation 2008, 44(4), 327-340.
• Clark A, Bottom K, Copus C. More Similar Than They’d Like to Admit? Ideology, Policy and Populism in the Trajectories of the British National Party and Respect. British Politics 2008, 3(4), 511-534.
• Bennie L, Clark A. The Transformation of Local Politics? STV and the 2007 Scottish Local Government Elections. Representation 2008, 44(3), 225-238.
• Clark A, Bennie L. Electoral Reform and Party Adaptation: The Introduction of the Single Transferable Vote in Scotland. Political Quarterly 2008, 79(2), 241-251.
• Copus C, Clark A, Bottom K. Multi-Party Politics in England? Small Parties, Independents and Political Associations in English Local Politics. In: Reiser, M., Holtmann, E, ed. Farewell to the Party Model? Independent Local Lists in Eastern and Western European Countries. Wiesbaden, Germany: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2008, pp.253-276.
• Clark A. Mass, Cadre or Franchise Parties? Assessing Scotland’s Local Party Organisations. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties 2008, 18(1), 27-51.
• Clark A. Community Politics? Grassroots Liberal Democrats and the 2003 Scottish Parliament Elections. British Journal of Politics and International Relations 2007, 9(4), 696-712.
• Clark A. Party Change Necessary: The Challenges Posed by the Conduct of British Elections. Local Government Studies 2007, 33(1), 137-145.
• Clark A. ‘Post-modern’ Campaigning? Constituency Party Activities in the 2003 Scottish Parliament Elections. Scottish Affairs 2006, (55), 87-106.
• Clark A. Between Iraq and a Hard Place?: The Scottish Local Government Elections of 2003. Representation 2005, 41(1), 42-51.
• Clark A. The Continued Relevance of Local Parties in Representative Democracies. Politics 2004, 24(1), 35-45.
• Bennie L, Clark A. Towards Moderate Pluralism: Scotland’s Post-Devolution Party System, 1999-2002. In: Rallings, C., Scully, R., Tonge, J., Webb, P, ed. British Elections and Parties Review. London: Routledge, 2003, pp.134-155.