Professor Darren R. Halpin
Darren Halpin is Professor of Political Science, at the Australian National University.
He researches and writes about the organisation of interests and interest representation in the policy process, in Australia, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and comparatively. His first book Groups, Democracy and Representation: Between Promise and Practice (2010, Manchester University Press), probed what we should expect groups to contribute to democratic representation, while his follow up book The Organization of Political Interest Groups: Designing Advocacy (2014, Routledge), pioneers an organisational social science perspective on interest groups, spanning group formation through to the exercise of policy influence. His latest book, with Anthony J. Nownes, The New Entrepreneurial Advocacy: Silicon Valley Elites in American Politics, is out with Oxford University Press and provides a deep dive into the political engagement of this important slice of corporate America. He is the Foundation Series Editor for the book series Interest Groups, Advocacy and Democracy (Palgrave, UK).
He has held multiple leadership positions at the ANU, including as Head of Department in both Sociology and Political Science, and as Interim Director of the Research School of Social Sciences. Prior to his appointment at the Australian National University, Halpin held tenured positions in both the United Kingdom and Denmark. He has held visiting positions internationally, including at Helsinki, Stanford, and Aberdeen universities.
Dr Bert Fraussen
Bert Fraussen is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs at Leiden University.
His research and teaching focuses on lobbying and interest representation. He studies the internal organization and development of political organizations, such as interest groups and think tanks, and for instance analyze how these organizations change over time, the way in which they involve their members, or how they determine their policy agenda. At the same time, his research also examines the different ways in which interest groups and think tanks engage with policymakers in order to shape public policy. A key question involves how policymakers can ensure the inclusive and effective engagement of societal stakeholders in public governance. He regulary provides Workshops and Masterclasses to advocacy groups, public affairs professionals and public officials. Furthermore, he is co-organizer of the “Night of the Lobbyist” in The Hague in collaboration with a Public Affairs Agency. The aim of this annual event is to facilitate and encourage discussions about lobbying among scientists, public affairs professionals, policymaker, journalists and students.
Previously, he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow and Lecturer in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University (ANU). He obtained his PhD at the University of Antwerp.
Dr Herschel Thomas
Herschel Thomas is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the West Virginia University.
He specializes in public policy with research on interest groups, lobbying, agenda-setting, and public health. His research on non-state actors and disaster response has been funded by two National Science Foundation RAPID grants. His book (with Timothy LaPira), Revolving Door Lobbying, provides a comprehensive analysis of former government officials working as lobbyists in Washington and was published by the University Press of Kansas in 2017. At the University of Texas at Arlington, in 2019, he received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 and was an Assistant Professor of political science at the University of Texas at Arlington from 2015-2020.
Student research interns
In the past few years, the LAB has collaborated with various students from the Australian National University and Leiden University, who completed research internships at the LAB.