Hello everyone!

My name is Joakim Nilsson, and I’m happy to start my journey as a PhD student at the department on February 1, 2026. I'm joining the Public Administration and Leadership section, and Peter Bjerre Mortensen and David Andersen are my supervisors.

My project examines the predictors of bureaucratic quality, focusing on how the clarity of legal language affects impartial decision-making, and ultimately, citizens' trust in public institutions. I study how institutional factors such as bureaucratic discretion, meritocratic recruitment, sectors, or contexts shape this relationship. Moreover, I try to evaluate which linguistic features used in laws most undermine consistent interpretation, and how cross-national differences in legal traditions relate to variation in bureaucratic impartial implementation.

I hold a master's degree in political science from the University of Gothenburg, with a focus on quality of government, democracy, and quantitative methods. During my studies, I have spent a semester as an exchange student in Strasbourg, France, where I focused on European politics, and completed an internship at the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs' EU and international unit. I also have a background in Engineering and experience in consultancy for projects in technical systems, primarily in real estate.

When I’m at home in Gothenburg, I’m usually busy with renovation projects, and outside the office I enjoy reading, going for a run, and exercising at the gym. 

Looking forward to getting to know the people working in the department, and I encourage everyone to stop by my office in building 1340, room 242, for a coffee and a chat!