Lee Savage

Dr. Lee Savage is a Reader in Comparative Politics at King's College London, based in the Department of European & International Studies within the School of Politics & Economics. He holds a PhD from the University of Essex and has held roles such as Deputy Head of Department for European and International Studies. His research focuses on inequality, welfare state dynamics, and political preferences influenced by immigration, technological change, and partisan policy-making.

Education: PhD in Government Formation from the University of Essex (2008). Prior to academia, he worked in the private sector and at the Resolution Foundation, contributing policy reports on economic inequality and labor markets.

Research Interests

• Politics of inequality and redistribution
• Immigration’s impact on welfare state support
• Technological change and welfare policy
• Party systems, coalition governments, and government formation
• Public opinion and electoral behavior across Europe

Recent Research Trends

His work analyzes how media framing of immigration shapes welfare chauvinism, the role of religion and partisanship in redistribution preferences, and post-Great Recession partisan policy shifts. Cross-national comparisons in Germany, Sweden, and the UK highlight his focus on welfare state dynamics.

Grants & Projects

• BA/Leverhulme Small Grant (2014-2015): "Does the framing of immigration affect individual support for redistribution?" (£10,000)
• ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (University of Sussex, 2011)

Labs & Collaborations

Active in the European Politics and Society Research Group, fostering interdisciplinary discussions on contemporary Europe. Co-authored studies with Dr. Sabina Avdagic on immigration framing and welfare state dynamics.