Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard

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Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard (born 1966) is (since 2006) Professor of political theory and comparative politics at the University of Copenhagen and course coordinator for Danish & Comparative Politics 2.  He initiated and was the first Director of the Dept. of Political Science's Centre for Voting and Parties and has held visiting appointments at a number of universities, including Cambridge, Columbia, New York and Oxford.

Kurrild-Klitgaard has for many years been spearheading the use of rational choice models in the study of politics.  His primary fields of interest are constitutions, electoral systems and political economy.

Kurrild-Klitgaard is, i.a., recipient of the University of Copenhagen's Teacher's Prize (2007) and Teacher of the Year in Political Science (2007), Fyens Stiftstidendes Researcher of the Year (2003), and has been elected, as the first Danish political scientist, a member of the European academy of sciences, Academia Europaea, as well as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Society of Antiquaries (UK).  He is a Knight of the Danish Royal Order of the Dannebrog (2017).

Kurrild-Klitgaard is a public intellectual and has for many years been a columnist for the daily Berlingske Tidende.  The daily Politiken has for years included him as one of the 100 most influential Danish opinion makers.  He is frequently used as a commentator on Danish politics--including by international media such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times (London), Le Monde and Bloomberg.

Office Hour: Thursday 15-16.

Primary fields of research

• Political economy
• Electoral systems
• Constitutions
• Constitutional economics
• Danish politics
• American politics

Selected papers for download (Repec)

Current research

• The effects of political institutions on public spending & economic growth; 
• Institutional determinants of market economies
• Dimensions in the Danish political spectrum
• State-making and state-building

Selected publications for download (Repec)

Fields of interest

• Political science, Political economy, Comparative politics, Constitutional political economy, Public choice, Rational choice, Social choice, Political theory
• American politics, British politics, Danish politics
• Constitutions, Elections, Voting theory, Electoral systems, Terrorism, State building, National elections, Autocracies, Economic growth, Democracy, Constitutionalism, UK, USA

Teaching

Since 2006:

• Theories and Approaches of Political Science (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
• General & Comparative Political Science (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
• Comparative Political Science (2014, 2015, 2016)
• Danish and Comparative Politics I (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• Danish and Comparative Politics II (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Bachelor Thesis seminar (2016)
• Master Thesis seminar (2007, 2008, 2014, 2016)
• Graduate courses on
• - Political economy (2019)
• - Recent themes in political economy (2019)
• - Vetoplayers in politics (2019)
• - Political institutions & economic growth (2007);
• - Collective choice: Voting theory & electoral systems (2006, 2011, 2018)

Selected publications

1. Published

   Demokratiets vilkårlighed: En analyse af forekomsten af valgparadokser ved tre folketingsvalg

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, Duminski, E. & Horndrup, S. N., 2023, In: Oekonomi og Politik. 2023, 4, p. 96-112

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

2. Published

   Classical liberalism and modern political economy in Denmark: with a postscript

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2023, Classical liberalism by country: Vol. III: Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Ex-Yugoslav Nations, Ukraine, and Romania. Klein, D. B., Briggeman, J. & Stroup, J. S. (eds.). Vancouver: Fraser Institute, Vol. 3. p. 90-125

   Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

3. Published

   The calculus of democratic deliberation

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter & Brandt, U. S., 2021, In: Constitutional Political Economy. 32, p. 165-186 22 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

4. Published

   Demokrati i totalstaten

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2020, København: Center for Politiske Studier (CEPOS). 244 p.

   Research output: Book/Report › Book › Communication

5. Published

   Public choice and social democracy

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2019, Oxford handbook of public choice. Congleton, R., Grofman, B. & Voigt, S. (eds.). New York : Oxford University Press, Vol. 1. p. 831-847 (Oxford Handbooks).

   Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

6. Published

   Var det fortsat "the economy, stupid!" i 2016 og 2018?

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, Oct 2019, In: Samfundsøkonomen. 2019, 3, p. 17-30

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

7. Published

   Change and stability in the Danish party system

   Pedersen, Karina & Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2018, Party system change, the European crisis and the state of democracy. Lisi, M. (ed.). London; N.Y.: Routledge, p. 63-79 (Routledge Studies on Political Parties and Party Systems).

   Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

8. Published

   Trump, Condorcet and Borda: Voting paradoxes in the 2016 Republican presidential primaries

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, Dec 2018, In: European Journal of Political Economy. 55, p. 29-35 3.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

9. Published

   Public choice and political science: a view from Europe

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2018, In: Public Choice. 175, 3-4, p. 245-257 13 p.

   Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

10. Published

    Computers, Coders, and Voters: Comparing Automated Methods for Estimating Party Positions

    Hjorth, Frederik Georg, Klemmensen, R. T., Hobolt, S. B., Hansen, M. E. & Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 1 Apr 2015, In: Research & Politics. 2, 2, p. 1-9 9 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

11. Published

    Economic growth and institutional reform in modern monarchies and republics: A historical cross-country perspective 1820-2000

    Bjørnskov, C. & Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2014, In: Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics. 170, 3, p. 453-481 29 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

12. Published

    Picking a loser? A social choice perspective on the Danish government formation of 1975

    Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, Mar 2014, In: Public Choice. 158, 3-4, p. 483-497 15 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

13. Published

    Election inversions, coalitions and proportional representation: Examples of voting paradoxes in Danish government formations

    Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 2013, In: Scandinavian Political Studies. 36, 2, p. 121-136

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

14. Published

    Institutional interactions and economic growth: The joint effects of property rights, veto players and democratic capital

    Kamp Justesen, M. & Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter, 1 Dec 2013, In: Public Choice. 157, 3-4, p. 449–474 26 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Selected activities

1. Clare Hall, University of Cambridge

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Visiting researcher)

   1 Jan 2021 → 31 Jul 2021

   Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution

2. King's College London

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Visiting researcher)

   1 Jan 2021 → 30 Jun 2021

   Activity: Visiting an external institution types › Visiting an external academic institution

3. Course Coordinator, Danish & Comparative Politics 2

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Participant)

   1 Aug 2020 → …

   Activity: Other activity types › Other

4. Fulbright Kommissionen (Organisational unit)

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Member)

   4 Dec 2017 → …

   Activity: Membership types › Membership in committee, council, board

5. European Editor/Associate Editor & Member, Editorial Board, Public Choice (Journal)

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Editor)

   1 Jan 2005 → …

   Activity: Peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of Research journal › Research

6. Political commentator & columnist, Berlingske Tidende

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Participant)

   1 Mar 1999 → …

   Activity: Other activity types › Other (prizes, external teaching and other activities) - Other

Selected prizes

1. Knight of the Royal Order of the Dannebrog

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), 17 Nov 2017

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

2. Society of Antiquaries (London): Fellow (elected)

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), 27 Jun 2019

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

3. Royal Historical Society (UK): Fellow (elected)

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), 1 Jun 2009

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

4. Academia Europaea: Member (elected)

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), 2013

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

5. "Harald Prize" of the Year

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), Nov 2007

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

6. Teacher of the Year in Political Science

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), 2007

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions

7. Researcher of the Year (Fyens Stiftstidende) (2003)

   Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter (Recipient), 2003

   Prize: Prizes, scholarships, distinctions