Lippert-Rasmussen and Albertsen part of large Horizon 2020 project

Andreas Albertsen and Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen are part of a large Horizon 2020 project aiming to analyse the crisis of trust and participation characterising European institutions and democracies. The project has received a grant of DKK 11.2 million out of which Aarhus BSS will receive DKK 1.2 million.

Postdoc Andreas Albertsen
Postdoc Andreas Albertsen Photo: Private
Professor Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen
Professor Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen Photo: Private

 

Voters are faced with tough ethical dilemmas when having to cast their vote. This might be due to the type of electoral system with voters in two-party systems feeling under pressure to opt for the lesser of two evils.

The large new Horizon 2020 project Reconstructing Democracy in Times of Crisis: A Voter-Centred Perspective aims to analyse the crisis of trust and participation characterising European institutions and democracies. An understanding of voting as a situation fraught with ethical dilemmas will be used to address new research agendas and develop tools to explore voting from this new perspective.

Apart from exploring whether some types of electoral systems spark more tough ethical dilemmas in voters than others, the researchers will also develop new ways to engage voters in the act of voting and democracy. They will do so in collaboration with think tanks such as IPPR (the UK), Funky Citizens (Romania) and Easy Vote (Switzerland).

In addition, the researchers will develop game-based interactive materials and a number of scenarios that clearly demonstrate the ethical dilemmas related to the act of voting. This will be used to educate and support the voters’ participation in elections and political discussions - and will also be used in teaching contexts.

Project participants include a number of academic experts in democracy and the theory of democracy from 10 European universities as well as a number of external partners across Europe. Aarhus BSS will be represented by Professor Kasper Lippert-Rasmussen and Postdoc Andreas Albertsen.

The project is led by Annabelle Lever, professor at Sciences Po in Paris. The Horizon 2020 grant amounts to DKK 11,169,299.70 out of which Aarhus BSS will receive DKK 1.2 million.