Areas of Research
The School of Politics has a strong focus on international and global politics and policy, and on people and power, as well as on institutions, theories and processes. Students - at both undergraduate and postgraduate level – are encouraged to study the ways in which policy is shaped for the “real world” and to learn how people can “make a difference” by being active citizens within their communities.
The current research areas covered in the School include the following:
European Politics
Covering a wide range of individual specialisations, the European politics grouping within the School builds out from questions of identity and belonging, into the relationship between national and European polities at the theoretical, institutional and policy levels, and out into questions of European foreign and security policy and the role of the European Union as an international actor.
International Politics
Staff conducting research within this group focus on cross-cutting issues such as: human rights and humanitarianism; nuclear non-proliferation; security and defence; and foreign policy analysis. Particularly innovative is the work on the politics of international intervention, looking at key drivers of foreign policy such as post-conflict reconstruction and stabilisation. We also have a number of area specialists who have expertise in particular regions of the world, including South-East Asia,China and Russia.
Political theory and Political behaviour
The principle areas of inquiry involve the role of effect and political behaviour on voter preferences and issue support, political ideologies and theories applied to diverse aspects of politics, including reputation management, political scandals, accountability, and political ethics. Research in this grouping focuses on the theoretical ideas influencing political decision making and behaviour. We also specialize in various types of political theory as it relates to the political process, democracy, party politics, and citizens‟ impressions of parties and their leaders.
Political Participation, Citizenship and Political Psychology
Research in this group is being conducted on: conceptions of citizenship; gender perspectives on citizenship; higher education policy.
The School also supports two research centres: CRONEM and Cii.
CRonEM is the Centre for Research on the European Matrix, which is a new multidisciplinary research centre housed in the School of Politics at the University of Surrey. At CRonEM we research European integration as a matrix of overlapping layers of governance, institutions and processes that shape how people of this continent live their lives and are governed, as well as how Europe engages the rest of the world.
Cii is the Centre for International Intervention. It is a multidisciplinary centre co-directed by Sir Michael Aaronson and Professor Marie Breen-Smyth. The Centre examines why and how states intervene in the affairs of other states, the international instruments they create to facilitate and regulate this, the consequences of their intervention on international society, and how we might approach international intervention differently in future.
