Benjamin MacQueen

Dr Benjamin MacQueen is a Senior Lecturer and Convenor of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Monash University's School of Social Sciences. His research focuses on political transitions in the Middle East and North Africa, particularly the impact of external actors, constitutional development, and electoral reforms on political participation. He leads the Australian Research Council-funded project 'Elections and Enhancing Political Participation in Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq' (2013-2015) and currently examines refugee influx impacts from the Syrian conflict in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq. His work addresses political, social, economic, legal, and environmental ramifications of displacement. MacQueen has authored five books and numerous peer-reviewed articles, contributing to journals like Middle East Policy and Australian Journal of Political Science. He frequently comments on Middle Eastern politics in Australian and international media, including ABC, SBS, and France 24. Previously, he held an ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Melbourne studying US democracy promotion policies in the MENA region.

Expertise aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to peaceful societies, justice, and strong institutions. His research keywords include Conflict/Dispute Resolution, Democratisation, Electoral Systems, Middle East Politics, and US Foreign Policy.

Key grants and projects include the ARC Discovery Project DP130100933 and prior work under DP0770266. Advising includes supervising PhD candidates through Monash's graduate research program. His publications span electoral reform, refugee politics, and Islamist movements, with recent focus on Lebanon's institutional hybridity and Hezbollah's political dynamics. Media engagements emphasize translating academic insights into public discourse.