Samuel A. T. Johnston

I am currently an ERC Fellow in Politics working on the Moral Agency in Election Campaigns (ELECT) project at University College Dublin, having completed my PhD in Trinity College Dublin in 2022. My research focuses on how the EU influences the different forms of nationalism utilised by political parties. Contrary to the common understanding of the EU's role, my research suggests that, rather than a backlash to EU integration resulting in forms of nationalism related to the central state (e.g., anti-immigration or anti-ethnic minority rhetoric, or external exclusiveness appeals focused on ethnic kin or territory in neighbouring countries) becoming more salient in party discourse, the EU instead discourages these forms of nationalism and incentivises parties to focus on other forms of identity, especially at the sub-national level. In addition to this main research agenda, I also research and publish on party politics and election campaigns, with a focus on the EU, Ireland, and the UK.

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This research has been published in a variety of academic journals, including West European Politics, Party Politics, and Irish Political Studies. In addition, my main research focus was funded by the Irish Research Council. 

My teaching experience strongly reflects this research agenda, as I have taught both undergraduate and Masters modules on the EU, Irish and Northern Irish politics, and party politics.