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Biography

Lynn Bennie joined the University as Lecturer in Politics in 1996 and is now a Reader in Politics. She was previously a Politics Lecturer at what was then the University of Paisley. She has a BA and PhD in Politics from the University of Strathclyde.

Research Overview

My research interests focus on the following themes: political participation; party membership and electoral behaviour; democracy and political representation; party adaptation and change; multi-level politics; and social movements, protest and green politics.

Current Research

ESRC-funded research 'Recruited by Referendum' focused on party membership amongst pro-independence parties following the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, its relationship with movement politics and the impact of membership surges on party organisations.  Co-investigators were Professor James Mitchell (Edinburgh) and Dr Rob Johns (Essex). A book 'Surges in Party Membership: The SNP and Scottish Greens After the Scottish Referendum' is published by Routledge (2024). Research with my Aberdeen colleague Malcolm Harvey has focused on the role and experiences of elected politicians at the local level.  'Defenders of Local Democracy' is supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

Past Research

I have published books and articles on: party membership; green politics; elections, parties and campaigns; political participation; party manifestos; and democratic representation.

Funding and Grants

Recruited by Referendum: Party Membership Energised, funded by Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), March 2016-May 2017.  Other ESRC grants on party membership.  Defenders of Local Democracy (2023-2024), funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Teaching Responsibilities

I am part of a team of course coordinators of our first year course PI1018 Introduction to Politics and International Relations: Democracy and Governance.  I contribute to PI2009, Ideas and Ideologies in Politics and International Relations and to the inter-disciplinary Sixth Century course SX1011 Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunity.  I am convenor of the honours course PI3562 Political Parties in Britain.  

I supervise undergraduate dissertations on elections, political participation, political parties, green politics, movement politics and campaign activism.

My PhD students have examined political parties, support for constitutional change and topics relating to sustainability and green politics.