Nick Vivyan

Professor Nick Vivyan is a Professor in Political Science at Durham University's School of Government and International Affairs, where he joined as Lecturer in Quantitative Social Research in 2010 and was promoted to Professor of Politics in 2018. He serves as Fellow of the Durham Research Methods Centre and Professor at the Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour.

Education:

• PhD in Political Science, London School of Economics (2010)
• Visiting Researcher, Stanford University (2008)

Vivyan specializes in quantitative and experimental analysis of political behaviour, accountability, and representation with UK focus. His research bridges British politics, legislative studies, political economy, public opinion, and electoral systems through rigorous methodological innovation. He particularly examines voter-MP relationships, electoral dynamics, and methodological challenges in survey research.

His recent publications reveal consistent focus on electoral behaviour measurement (turnout misreporting, constituency opinion estimation), legislative accountability mechanisms, and cross-national polarization trends. Methodologically, he pioneers experimental designs and survey innovations while maintaining historical and comparative perspectives.

Supervision & Grants:

• PhD supervision in British/comparative politics, electoral behaviour, and legislative politics (e.g., Elisabeth de Vega Alavedra)
• Principal investigator on ESRC, British Academy, and Leverhulme Trust grants including £504k ESRC/AHRC project on electoral violence (1832-1914)
• Co-investigator on international projects funded by Austrian National Bank and European research councils

As founding member of Durham's Centre for Institutions and Political Behaviour, Vivyan contributes to interdisciplinary research on political institutions and citizen behaviour while serving on the Editorial Board of Electoral Studies.