معرفی
Theresa Reidy is a Professor in the Department of Government and Politics at University College Cork (UCC). She specializes in electoral studies, referendum campaigns, political institutions, and democratic governance. Her research focuses on voting behavior, political parties, and the intersection of electoral systems with societal change. Reidy has held visiting scholar positions at Concordia University, Universität Konstanz, and Université de Rennes 2, reflecting her international academic engagement.
Reidy leads the National Elections and Democracy Study (NEDS), a 25-year project funded by Ireland’s Electoral Commission, examining Irish electoral behavior. She has also coordinated major projects like the MobileU initiative exploring voting rights for EU citizens and contributed to high-profile exit polls for Ireland’s 2016 and 2018 referendums. Her editorial roles include co-editing Irish Political Studies and International Political Science Review, and she served on the Executive Committee of the International Political Science Association (IPSA).
Her research has been supported by grants from the European Commission, Irish Research Council, and Royal Irish Academy. Reidy’s work bridges academia and policy, with contributions to parliamentary committees in Ireland and Scotland on electoral integrity, referendum management, and constitutional reform. She regularly appears in media (RTE, BBC, Al Jazeera) and publishes op-eds analyzing elections, political trends, and democratic challenges.
Key research themes include the impact of social media on referendums (e.g., 2018 Abortion Referendum), electoral rights for mobile citizens, and the transformation of Irish voter behavior post-economic crisis. She advocates for institutional reforms to strengthen democratic engagement and has designed curricula for non-traditional political science students.
