Sarah Brierley

Dr Sarah Brierley is an Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her research focuses on African Politics, Political Parties, Elections, Corruption, and Public Sector Management, with particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana. Before joining LSE, she was an Assistant Professor at Washington University in St. Louis and earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA.

Her key research interests revolve around the intersection of bureaucratic politics, electoral dynamics, and corruption in Ghana. She employs innovative methods such as original surveys, field experiments, and in-depth interviews to explore topics like the politicization of public sectors, traditional leadership influence on voter behavior, and party campaign strategies. Her work has been published in leading journals including the American Journal of Political Science and British Journal of Political Science.

Dr Brierley’s current projects include a book manuscript analyzing why Ghana’s public sector remains politicized despite meritocratic recruitment practices. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Ghana, examining themes such as bureaucratic corruption, electoral fraud prevention, and the role of traditional leaders in elections.

Her research contributions span electoral integrity, political patronage, and gender dynamics in public service. She has collaborated on projects addressing the impact of parliamentary debates on voter attitudes and the effectiveness of election observers in mitigating violence.