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New research centre will focus on quantitative and analytical political economy

A new research centre, headed by Professor Francesco Squintani and based within the Department of Economics at Warwick University, aims to become a centre of excellence for collaborative research in quantitative and analytical political economy.

The Quantitative and Analytical Political Economy Research Centre (QAPEC) will consolidate and advance the research work of quantitative and analytical political economists at Warwick.

It is the logical next step for the informal research group which has developed at Warwick University across the Department of Economics and the Department of Politics and international Studies over the years, with a track record of success including routinely publishing in world-leading journals, running a weekly seminar jointly with the LSE, and organising an annual conference jointly with Princeton University.

Professor Squintani said: “QAPEC will enhance the external presence and identity of this group as well as providing a context and identity for those working in or interested in quantitative and analytical political economy.

“Political economy lies at the intersection of political science and economics. A large number of studies have highlighted the importance of political institutions in shaping the incentives of policy makers. These studies concern theoretical and empirical findings on a number of topics including the performance of democratic institutions, the role of parties and elections, the consequences of opinion trends and geopolitical events, the effectiveness of political debate and information aggregation in political institutions, the impact of lobbying and campaigns on political and economic decisions, the efficacy of diplomacy and third-party intervention in international disputes, the value of international aid and development campaigns, the role of international organizations and alliances, the nature of autocracies and the challenges they pose geopolitically.”

QAPEC will provide a forum for researchers within the University of Warwick, and also work collaboratively with UK and international networks and partners including PolEconUK, the Political Economy Research Group of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (PolEcon-CEPR), the European Political Economy Consortium (EPEC), the Political Science and Political Economy research group at the London School of Economics (PSPE-LSE), and the Quantitative and Analytical Political Science program at Princeton University (QAPS).

Professor Ben Lockwood, Warwick Economics Research Director, said: “QAPEC is an important addition to the Department’s portfolio of research centres. It will bring together faculty across the Department and from other related Departments who have a common interest in political economy. QAPEC will also facilitate international research links via the many distinguished scholars who have agreed to become Associate Fellows of the Centre”

19 August 2021

About QAPEC: QAPEC provides a framework to coordinate collaborative research in quantitative and analytical political economy within the University of Warwick as well as with the Centre’s UK and international networks and partners (PolEconUK, EPEC, PSPE-LSE, QAPS at Princeton), through the organisation of informal meetings, research seminars and international conferences.

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Sheila Kiggins

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University of Warwick

s.kiggins@warwick.ac.uk

07876 218166