MacDougall Trust Prize for Elections, Electoral Systems and Representation awarded Ceri Fowler and Lotte Hargrave

Dr Ceri Fowler

This year’s MacDougall Trust Prize for Elections, Electoral Systems and Representation, awarded by the Political Studies Association, was shared between Dr Ceri Fowler, who completed her PhD at Manchester last year, and Dr Lotte Hargrave, who is joining Manchester as a new Lecturer in Quantitative Political Science.

Dr Ceri Fowler’s thesis, ‘Gender and Voting Behaviour at the United Kingdom’s 2016 Referendum on EU Membership’, was awarded the prize because of its ‘exceptional level of curiosity, originality, and methodological rigour.’ 

The jury found that ‘using rigorous statistical methods to analyse different sets of survey data, the research reveals insights that are relevant beyond the EU referendum and the British context, and can inform the study of electoral behaviour, political attitudes, and gender and politics more widely. […] We believe that this work will have a profound impact on election scholars in Britain and beyond.’

Dr Lotte Hargrave

The jury was also ‘extremely impressed with the scientific rigor and methodological sophistication’ of Dr Lotte Hargrave’s thesis, ’The Influence of Gender Stereotypes on Politicians’ Behaviour and Voter Attitude’. 

They ‘found the level of theoretical and methodological sophistication outstanding and thoroughly enjoyed reading this clear, compelling, polished, and mature work of research. It makes important contributions to our understanding of the role of gender in the political behaviour of elites over time. Moreover, it provides a glimpse into the potential of the candidate to drive the discipline forward with methodological innovations and rigour.’