Damon Alexander

Damon Alexander is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and Public Policy at Swinburne University of Technology's Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, within the School of Social Sciences, Media, Film and Education. He specializes in interdisciplinary research focusing on public policy design, political engagement, and applied social network analysis. His work emphasizes quasi-markets in public services, particularly the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Australia. Alexander currently leads an ARC Linkage grant (2018–2025) investigating market effectiveness in public service sectors, collaborating with government agencies to address accessibility challenges in disability services. Previously, he held roles at the University of Melbourne's Melbourne School of Government and School of Social and Political Sciences.

Research Interests:

• Public Policy and Innovation
• Political Engagement and Technology
• Quasi-Markets and Market Stewardship
• Social Network Analysis in Governance
• Australian and Victorian Political Systems
• Right-Wing Populist Trends

His recent publications (e.g., 2022's 'Should We Change the Way We Think About Market Performance...') highlight frameworks for evaluating public service markets and data challenges in market stewardship. Alexander has supervised numerous PhD students, including those exploring policy impacts, care policy, and water politics.

Awards:

• Australian Postgraduate Scholarship (1998)

Grants/Projects:

• ARC Linkage Grant (2018–2025): 'Stewarding Thin Markets'
• COMITATO DEGLI ITALIANI ALL'ESTERO Grant (2021–2024): Analyzing community resilience during the pandemic

Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary teams addressing disability policy, market governance, and social network methodologies. His work bridges academic research with real-world policy interventions.