Research.
My research focusses on social and democratic inclusion at the local level. It explores the individual and community-wide benefits of an active, engaged, and empowered citizenry. In particular, my research identifies the institutional causes of disengagement and examines the potentiality of local government as a space where all citizens - not just the elite few - are able to assert their democratic voice. At a time of widespread disenchantment with our political and social circumstances, my research highlights the value of local participation for re-building our sense of community, our trust in others, and our faith in democracy.
"Civic spirit, according to Sandel (2012: 130), is like a muscle; just as it may grow stronger with exercise, it may atrophy with disuse. Thus, if the tradition of local self-government has indeed been as integral to the development and maintenance of liberal institutions as Toulmin Smith (1849) has vociferously argued, where will be the well-spring for the next generation?"
—Political Alienation and Council Amalgamations