Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard

Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard is a Professor of General and Comparative Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen. He has held this position since 2006 and serves as subject coordinator for Danish & Comparative Politics 2. He initiated and was the first head of the department's Center for Elections and Parties and has been a visiting researcher at prestigious institutions including Cambridge, Columbia, New York and Oxford Universities.

He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen (1992-1996), MA in Political Science from Columbia University (1992-1995), and Cand.phil. in Social Studies from the University of Copenhagen (1985-1991). His academic journey has positioned him as a leading figure in Danish political science.

Kurrild-Klitgaard is a pioneer in applying rational choice models to political science, with primary research interests including constitutions, electoral systems, political economy, Danish politics, and American politics. His work spans constitutional political economy, public choice, social choice theory, and comparative politics. He has made significant contributions to understanding voting paradoxes, democratic deliberation, and the relationship between political institutions and economic outcomes.

His scholarly output is extensive, with 677 publications including numerous journal articles, books, and book chapters. Recent work focuses on electoral paradoxes in democratic systems, the calculus of democratic deliberation, and classical liberalism in Denmark. His research demonstrates consistent engagement with both theoretical frameworks and empirical political analysis.

Kurrild-Klitgaard has received multiple prestigious awards including the University of Copenhagen's Teaching Prize 'Harald of the Year' (2007), the Teacher of the Year in Political Science (2007), and the Fyens Stiftstidende Research Prize (2003). He is a member of Academia Europaea, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries (UK), and a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog (2017).

As an active public intellectual, he is a regular columnist for Berlingske and has been selected by Politiken for several consecutive years as one of Denmark's 100 most influential opinion leaders. His work bridges academic rigor with public discourse, making complex political science concepts accessible to broader audiences while maintaining scholarly integrity.