Cohort: POLS 37° 

Topic of the thesis: Competence vs. ideology: do citizens with technocratic and populist attitudes demand for more expertise in politics compared to supporters of party-based democracy? A longitudinal and comparative study across European countries.

Abstract: Election outcomes can no longer be interpreted by looking solely at the degree of ideological proximity between parties and voters on salient issues. More recent studies have developed a multidimensional model incorporating the dimension of competence, measured over valence issues, as a complementary source of candidates’ evaluation by voters. This approach takes into account the demand for more expertise in politics brought about by populism and the spread of technocratic governments since the Eurocrisis of 2009. Accordingly, the purpose of this research proposal is to implement a longitudinal and comparative design across European countries to investigate whether attitudes toward populism, party-based democracy, and technocratic governments differ in explaining ideological voting and competence-based voting. At the macro level, country democratic history and party positioning on ideological and valence issues are considered.

Research interests: Political Sociology; Political Attitudes; Voting Behaviour.

Graduated from: University of Tilburg  (the Netherlands) and University of Trento (MA - Double degree); University of Pisa (BA).

Degrees obtained: BA in Philosphy; MA in Sociology; MA in Sociology and Social Research.

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