Welcome

I am a researcher in comparative politics at Leiden University’s Institute of Political Science and work on citizen participation and behaviour in representative democracies. In my dissertation, I investigate the effects of population size on citizen participation. I argue that a small population size fundamentally changes the social context in which citizens participate and interact with politicians and thereby impacts their relationship to their representatives.

My work combines qualitative methods (ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, text analysis) with quantitative analyses of original survey data and election results.

I consider the practical implications of knowledge very important and have communicated my findings through popular media appearances and presentations to stakeholders at workshops and lectures.

Next to my research, I teach several seminar-based Academic Skills workgroups for the BSc in Political Science at Leiden University and received the partial BKO teaching certificate. To a large extent, my work is bilingual: I research, write, and teach in English and Dutch. I am passionate about my research and teaching, excited to share my interests and insights, and keen to connect.