Suthan Krishnarajan Wins Award for Best Article in APSR
Associated Professor of Political Science, Suthan Krishnarajan, from Aarhus BSS at Aarhus University, has been awarded for his research on democracy.
At this year's American Political Science Association conference in Philadelphia, USA, Associated Professor Suthan Krishnarajan will receive the Heinz I. Eulau Award for the best article published in the renowned journal American Political Science Review in 2023.
It’s the first time a researcher from a Danish university receives the award.
"It is an honour to receive this award, and I am very grateful. It is always a pleasure to be recognized for something you are passionate about, and it inspires me to continue my work," says Suthan Krishnarajan about receiving the award.
In the article "Rationalizing Democracy: The Perceptual Bias and (Un)Democratic Behavior," Suthan Krishnarajan examines a dilemma that democracy often presents to citizens: Should one adhere to democratic principles and lose out on specific policies, or is it better to accept undemocratic behaviour and achieve desired policies?
Previous research has shown that citizens often choose the latter, and it is assumed that this is a conscious rejection of democratic principles. However, according to the research behind Suthan Krishnarajan's award-winning article, there is an alternative possibility:
Citizens rationalise their understanding of democracy to align with their political preferences. When politicians support desired policies using undemocratic means, voters perceive it as democratic. Conversely, when politicians support undesired policies without violating democratic rules, people view it as undemocratic.
Suthan Krishnarajan finds support for this theoretical perspective in a series of survey experiments conducted in the United States and 22 other democracies, which show that rationalisation plays a significant role in the willingness to accept elected officials' undemocratic behaviour, which is the greatest challenge for contemporary democracies.
Additional Information
The Heinz I. Eulau Award is given annually to the authors of the best article in the American Political Science Review and Perspectives on Politics. The award committee was comprised of Tara Grillos from Purdue University, Carl Henrik Knutsen from the University of Oslo, and Alisha Holland from Harvard University.
