Kees Aarts

Prof. Kees Aarts is a Professor of Political Institutions and Behaviour at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences. He previously served as Dean of the Faculty until August 2024 and held academic roles at the University of Twente from 1985-2016. His expertise spans democracy, electoral behavior, and political methodology. Aarts earned his Bachelor and Master degrees from the University of Amsterdam (1979, 1985) and a PhD from Twente (1990).

Research Interests:

• Democracy and its institutional frameworks
• Electoral behavior and voter dynamics
• Comparative politics and policy responses
• Political communication and media effects
• Survey methodology and data quality

Scientific Awards:

• Elected Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)
• Elected Member of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW)

Recent Work Focus:
His recent articles analyze pandemic policy responses, citizen satisfaction with democracy, and media's role in political legitimacy. He also investigates methodological challenges in survey research and democratic institutions.

Additional Roles:

• Member of the Province Groningen Referendum Committee