Dr Jonathan Arlow

Research Overview

I research comparative politics, with a special focus on Irish and British politics. I am interested in how radical political movements interact with the institutions of liberal democratic states. My PhD thesis explored the influence of the libertarian movement on mainstream right-wing party policy change within Europe. I have also researched the Antifa’s role in combating the electoral ambitions of the extreme right. My current research examines Sinn Féin’s evolution into a party that is electorally competitive both sides of the Irish border since the Great Recession. This project compares Sinn Féin’s operations in the North to the South and contrasts its unusual all-island position (one party, two jurisdictions) to other anti-systemic European parties of the left. In addition to this main research agenda, I research and publish on youth unemployment policy and the ‘revolving door’ in Irish politics.