PhD Student - Matthew Wood

Details

Email : m.a.wood@sheffield.ac.uk

Title: The Return of Politics? Political Crises and (De)politicisation in British Politics

Start Year: 2010

Supervisors

Matthew Flinders and Colin Hay

Research Summary

My PhD centres on the concepts of politicisation, depoliticisation and crises in modern British politics. My primary research question asks whether, during periods of crisis, governance relationships between central departments and delegated agencies become 'politicised' (greater central control) or 'depoliticised' (greater agency autonomy), and the driving forces behind these dynamics. This question is investigated through an analysis of three case studies in economic, environmental and health policy, during three contrasting crisis periods. The first case study examines the changing relationship between the Financial Services Authority and HM Treasury during the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis. The second case examines the dynamics between the Environment Agency and DEFRA during the national flooding of summer 2007. Finally, the third case study is of the relationship between NICE and the Department of Health during the 2005-2006 'post-code lottery' crisis over the availability of the breast cancer drug Herceptin. The research aims not only to provide new conceptual and empirical innovations with regard to the current depoliticisation and crisis literature, but to provide a measure of practical guidance for reformist policy makers and campaigners with regard to how they may use crises as an opportunity to alter a 'policy paradigm'.

Book Reviews

• ‘Public Services Inspection in the UK’ by H. Davis and S. Martin (eds.), Political Studies Review, 9(3), p.424.

Conference Papers

• ‘Shifting Paradigms?: Mapping Policy Change in the Wake of the Financial Crisis’, Presented at the ECPR General Conference, Reykjavik, Iceland, 27th August 2011.

Awards

• £15,000 National ESRC Scholarship to do PhD at University of Sheffield Politics Department (awarded 2009, Grant No.ES/H017844/1).
• Bethan Reeves Memorial Prize for ‘Best academic attainment’ in taught postgraduate courses in Politics, 2009-2010.

Academic History

• BA Politics (1st); MA Research Methods in Politics and International Relations (Distinction) – both at University of Sheffield.

Research Interests

British Politics; Depoliticisation; Politicisation; Crises; Political Participation; Governance and Public Policy; Political Development; Comparative Studies; Social Typing.

Professional Affiliations

Political Studies Association; European Consortium for Political Research

Research Training Group

Governance and Participation

Teaching

POL112 British Politics 2011-12

Media

Analysis of Parliamentary constituency boundary change proposals for community radio station Drystone FM.