CDP-seminar: Mads Qvortrup "Tony Blair: The Anatomy of a Contender"
The Research Programme on Democracy and the Comparative Democratic Politics Seminar are pleased to invite you to a seminar with Mads Qvortrup on political leadership and the case of Britain's ex-prime minister Tony Blair
Abstract
One of the most prominent (and controversial) politicians in recent years, Tony Blair was a primary example of a charismatic leader. Based on insider knowledge from his period working with Blair and theoretical analysis of Blair's style of government, Mads Qvortrup analyses the contradictory nature of Tony Blair's period in government, a time that was characterised by both messianic zeal and focus-group opportunism. Based on insights from such classics as Max Weber, Thomas Carlyle and Nicolo Machiavelli, Blair is set in context of other leaders.
Commentator: Kristin Haugevik, NUPI
Mads Qvortrup is currently Research Director at Cranfield University and the UK Defence Academy, and has previously worked as a journalist and as an adviser to the British government and the US State Department. He is an expert in comparative constitutional engineering, electoral administration and has been described by the BBC as the "world's leading expert on referendums". Qvortrup received his doctorate from Oxford University on a study of referendums, which was subsequently published as A Comparative Study of Referendums (Second Edition 2005). His book Balloting to Stop Bullets. Referendums on Nationalism and Ethnic Issues will be published by University of Pennsylvania Press next year. Qvortrup also has specialised in British Politics and is a regular commentator on UK politics for the BBC. In 2006 he published Tony Blair - en politisk biografi (København, Høst & Søn).
Paper (will be available soon)