Best, Dr. R.E.



Telephone number: +31 (0)71 527 3632
E-Mail: rbest@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Faculty / Department: Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen, Instituut Politieke Wetenschap
Office Address: Pieter de la Court gebouw
Wassenaarseweg 52
2333 AK Leiden
Room number 5B13


Robin E. Best is Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics and Research Methodology. She received her PhD in 2007 from Binghamton University (SUNY) and was previously Instructor of Political Science at Syracuse University. Her dissertation examined cross-national increases in party system fragmentation in advanced democracies over the post-WWII era. Currently, her research focuses on the growing support for minor parties, party policy positioning, new party entries, the electoral influence of social cleavages, and the effects of electoral systems on party systems. Dr. Best’s work has been published or is forthcoming in journals such as Political Analysis, Electoral Studies, Party Politics, and the European Political Science Review. Her research interests include the politics of advanced industrialised democracies, political parties and party systems, electoral politics, electoral systems, representation, democratic institutions, research methodology, rational choice theory, voting behaviour, and gender and politics.

During the 2009-2010 academic year, Dr. Best is teaching the Research Master's Research Proposal Lab, Rational Choice Theory, and Comparative Political Parties, and is coordinator and lecturer for the Master course State of the Art at Campus Den Haag.

CV & Publications (2010)

Last Modified: 03-06-2010