Political communication and democratic legitimacy

 The Center for Political Science Research at the University of Leuven is pleased to announce a vacancy for one Ph.D. researcher (f/m) in Political Science. The Centre for Political Science Research is an ambitious, vibrant and research-intensive centre with an extensive international network. The center is at the forefront of fundamental and applied scientific research and is conveniently located just outside Brussels. The centre has extensive expertise in studies on the relationships between citizens and their political system i.e. political engagement, political attitudes, and socialization.
The research project the vacancy is linked to starts off from a concern about the quality of the political debate and its potential dire consequences on democratic legitimacy in Western democracies. In collaboration with the research team, the PhD student will investigate the quality of the political debate and the effect of different communication styles on the legitimacy of politicians and the political system. For instance, what’s the effect of uncivil attacks on political opponents? How does the justification of policy positions and decisions influence democratic legitimacy? How do citizens react to false statements of politicians?
The successful candidate will be offered a fully funded position and the opportunity to pursue innovative doctoral research with outstanding supervision in one of Belgium’s leading research centres of political science. The vacancy is tenable for up to four years from October 2017 onwards (flexible start date). We offer a stimulating working environment in a dynamic, internationally oriented interdisciplinary research team. We strongly invest in research training for PhD students, including summer schools, international conferences and research stays abroad.

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