The Democratic Performance cluster brings together UL researchers examining democratic and administrative structures and practices in Ireland, the EU and wider Europe.  Based in the Department of Politics and Public Administration, the cluster seeks to understand the factors that shape the effectiveness of democratic institutions and public administration across a number of dimensions including: political participation; representation; civic engagement; decision-making; policy formulation and implementation.

Current projects

-  Explaining political change in Ireland (funded by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge in Society)
-  Principles to Guide Public Engagement on Policy and Services Development, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - In response to the call for submissions, Chris McInerney and Cian Finn, working as part of the PPA Democratic Performance cluster,  have prepared a submission entitled Beyond Guidelines – Towards Best Practice in Public Participation focusing on three key areas: Legitimising, Advising and Incentivising.

Members

Maura Adshead

Bernadette Connaughton

Rory Costello

Frank Häge

Chris McInerney

Neil Robinson

Bríd Quinn

Recent publications in this area

Adshead, Maura (2013) 'The Politics of the Constitutional Convention' In: Theo Dorgan (eds). A Constitution for 21st century Ireland. Dublin: New Island Books.
Bernadette Connaughton (2014) 'From incidental to integral? Forty years of Ireland's engagement with EU environmental policy'. Administration, 62 (2):47-68.
Bernadette Connaughton (2015) 'Confronting interrelated Crises in the EU's Western Periphery: Steering Ireland-EU Relations back to the Centre' In: Jose M. Magone, Brigid Laffan and Christian Schweiger (eds). Core Periphery Relations in the European Union. London: Routledge. 
Bernadette Connaughton (2015) 'Developing a Hybrid Identity? Europeanisation of Public Servants at the Continent's Far-West' In: Fritz Sager and Patrick Overeem (eds). The European Civil Servant: A Shared Administrative Identity?. London: Routledge. [
Bernadette Connaughton (2015) 'Navigating the borderlines of politics and administration: Reflections on the role of ministerial advisers'. International Journal Of Public Administration, 38 :1-9. 
Connaughton, B (2014) 'A Rubik's Cube Dilemma? The Implementation of European Union Waste-Management Policy in Ireland'. Journal Of Environmental Policy & Planning, 16 :201-220.
Connaughton, B. (2012) '‘Ministers and their Departments: Inside the ‘Black Box’ of the Policy Making Process’' In: O'Malley, E. and MacCarthaigh, M. (eds) (eds).Governing Ireland. Dublin: IPA.
Costello, R,Thomassen, J,Rosema, M (2012) 'European Parliament Elections and Political Representation: Policy Congruence between Voters and Parties'. West European Politics, 35 :1226-1248
Costello, R,Thomson, R (2013) 'The distribution of power among EU institutions: who wins under codecision and why?'. Journal Of European Public Policy, 20 :1025-1039. 
Costello, Rory; Thomson, Robert (2015) 'Bicameralism, nationality and party cohesion in the European Parliament'. Party Politics, forthcoming
Häge, FM (2012) Bureaucrats as Law-Makers: Committee Decision-Making in the EU Council of Ministers. London: Routledge.
Häge, FM (2013) 'Coalition Building and Consensus in the Council of the European Union'. British Journal Of Political Science, 43 :481-504.
Häge, FM,Naurin, D (2013) 'The effect of codecision on Council decision-making: informalization, politicization and power'. Journal Of European Public Policy, 20 :953-971. 
McInerney Chris (2013) 'Introduction' In: Power Policy and Democracy: Participation in Public policy in Ireland. Dublin: Glasnevin Press.
McInerney Chris with Ennis Town Council (2012) Planning Beyond Recession - Ennis 2020
McInerney, Chris (2012) Renewing Limerick 2012- Perspectives on the future of Limerick City Centre. University of Limerick, Limerick.
McInerney, Chris (2014) Challenging Times - Challenging Administration: The Role of Public Administration in Promoting Social Justice. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Robinson, N (2012) 'The edges of Europe: conflict and resistance in the eastern marches and the problematic nature of a “wider Europe”' In: G. Strange and O. Worth (eds). New Regionalism and the Left in Europe. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Robinson, N. (2013) 'Natural states and the development of democracy’' In: L.E. Grinin and A.V. Korotayev (eds). Evolution. Development within big history, evolutionary and world-system paradigms. Volgograd: Uchitel.
Robinson, Neil (2013) 'Russian patrimonial capitalism and the international financial crisis' In: V. Feklyunina and S. White (eds). The International Economic Crisis and the Post-Soviet States. London: Routledge.
Quinn, Brid (2012) 'A new position for civil society and citizens' In: Schaap, l. and Daemen, H (eds). Renewal in European Democracies. Heidleberg: Springer VS.