معرفی
David Farrell is a Full Professor of Politics at the School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin. A member of the Royal Irish Academy and Academia Europaea, he specializes in electoral systems, political parties, and deliberative democracy. He served as Head of School at UCD (2010–2013, 2016–2021) and previously held leadership roles at the University of Manchester. His visiting positions include the Australian National University, Harvard, Mannheim, and UC Irvine. Farrell co-founded the journal Party Politics (1995–2018) and has chaired the European Consortium for Political Research (2021–2024).
Education:
- BA, University College Dublin
- MA, University College Dublin
- PhD, European University Institute Florence
Farrell's research examines democratic linkage, deliberative innovations, and electoral behavior. He has pioneered studies on citizens' assemblies, advising governments in Ireland, the UK, and Belgium. His recent books analyze electoral systems globally, Irish politics, and mini-public design. Key themes include the role of parties in democracy, constitutional reform via deliberation, and voter behavior in referendums.
His publications (2019–2025) predominantly explore deliberative democracy, electoral outcomes, and crisis governance. Trends include empirical analyses of citizens' assemblies (e.g., abortion debates, climate policy), institutional legitimacy in divided societies, and the impact of COVID-19 on legislatures. Methodologically, his work blends quasi-experimental designs, cross-national surveys, and policy evaluations.
Awards and Honors:
- 2019 Irish Research Council 'Researcher of the Year' for societal impact
- 2019 Laurence and Lynne Brown Medal for advancing democracy
- 2012 Brian Farrell Book Prize
- 2012 Leon Weaver Award for best paper on representation
- 2012 GESIS Klingemann Prize for electoral scholarship
Farrell has secured significant grants including ESRC projects on post-conflict governance (£500k+) and Irish Research Council funding for environmental SDGs. He advises the OECD Innovative Citizen Participation Network and EU Horizon initiatives (e.g., PERITIA, POLITICIZE). As research lead for Ireland's Citizens' Assembly, he designed deliberative processes influencing constitutional referendums.
He directs the Irish Citizens' Assembly Project and sits on advisory boards for international consortia. His lab collaborates with institutions like the UK Climate Assembly and Scottish Citizens’ Assembly, focusing on embedding deliberative methods in democratic systems.
