Especially in times of major societal change and crises, it is vital that politicians uphold democratic and moral norms. DeMoCraft investigates the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practices that politicians and public administrators require to do so. The researchers examine what helps or hinders the development of ‘democratic moral craftsmanship’ among politicians and administrators, and what its effects are on the quality and integrity of (crisis) policy and decision-making. In order to strengthen the resilience of public administration and reinforce public trust, they are developing interventions to encourage and support politicians and administrators in their democratic and moral conduct.

Universities, universities of applied sciences, and societal partners

To achieve this, they are collaborating with five universities, two universities of applied sciences, and as many as 27 societal partners to conduct research that truly makes a difference in practice. DeMoCraft brings together interdisciplinary expertise from public administration, organisational studies, political science, communication science, constitutional and administrative law, and history.

UvA well represented

The University of Amsterdam is well represented within DeMoCraft with a broad interdisciplinary presence. Christian Burgers (ASCoR) is one of the Work Package Leaders. Other UvA researchers involved in the consortium include Sandra Jacobs (ASCoR), Jerfi Uzman (LAw and ACCu), Ursula Daxecker (AISSR and Political Science), Theresa Kuhn (ARTES and European Studies) en Matthijs Lok (ARTES and European Studies).