ERC Starting Grant QUALIDEM
Eroding Democracies. A qualitative (re-)appraisal of how policies shape democratic linkages in Western democracies
Qualidem is an interdisciplinary project that intends to bridge between scholars of public policy and students of mass politics. Based on their previous research, it brings together Prof Virginie Van Ingelgom (principal investigator), who specializes in the study of mass public, and Dr Claire Dupuy, a scholar of comparative public policy (principal collaborator).
The Qualidem project offers a qualitative (re)appraisal of citizens’ (dis-)affection towards politics by relying on the core argument of the policy feedback literature: attitudes and behaviours are outcomes of past policy. It aims to explain the evolutions of democratic linkages – political trust, political support, loyalty, formal and informal participation – as being shaped by public policy, and specifically by the turn to neoliberalism and supranationalisation.
On the empirical level, Qualidem relies on the reanalysis of qualitative data – interviews and focus groups – from a diachronic and comparative perspective focusing on four Western European countries, Belgium, France, Germany and the UK, with the US serving as a counterpoint. The objective is to systematically analyse the domestic and socially differentiated effects of both the major policy-related macro transformations to citizens’ representations and experiences of politics.
Qualidem’s team includes Damien Pennetreau (PhD candidate), Ferdinand Teuber (postdoctoral fellow from October 1st, 2017), one PhD candidate, two postdoctoral fellows IT specialist, as well as Prof Virginie Van Ingelgom and Dr Claire Dupuy.
The scientific board is currently composed of Prof Sophie Duchesne (CNRS, Sciences Po Bordeaux), Prof Colin Hay (Sciences Po Paris), Prof Benoît Rihoux (UCLouvain) and Prof Vincent Tiberj (Sciences Po Bordeaux).
Qualidem is funded by a Starting Grant of the European Research Council. It is hosted by the Université catholique de Louvain – ISPOLE in partnership with Sciences Po Grenoble - PACTE.
