Researcher

Evelien Willems

Research Expertise:Dr. Evelien Willems's research focuses on lobbying and interest representation in Belgium and other European countries. Specifically, she studies the interplay between interest groups, public opinion and public policy. The main questions she tries to answer in her research are when and how interest groups strengthen or weaken the connection between citizens' policy preferences and policy outcomes. She completed her PhD on this topic in February 2021. Currently, she is further developing this research agenda as a postdoctoral researcher. Her methodological expertise includes content analysis of news coverage, legislation and government documents, and survey methodologies in function of statistical analysis purposes (R and STATA).

Keywords:INTEREST GROUPS, PUBLIC OPINION, PUBLIC POLICY, BELGIAN POLITICS, ADVOCACY, LOBBYING, POLITICAL COMMUNICATION, MEDIA AND POLITICS, Political and social sciences

Disciplines:Policy and administration, International and comparative politics, Multilevel governance, National politics, Political behaviour, Political organisations and institutions, Political theory and methodology, Public administration, Media studies

Research techniques:Content analysis of news coverage and government documents (partly computer-controlled), interviews, surveys, statistical analysis techniques in R and STATA

Users of research expertise:Journalists, policymakers, civil society organizations