A Strathclyde academic has been awarded the Political Studies Association’s WJM Mackenzie Book Prize, one of the most prestigious honours in UK political science.

Professor Stefanie Reher received the prize for the book 'Disability and Political Representation', co-authored with Professor Elizabeth Evans of the University of Southampton and published by Oxford University Press. The award recognises the best book in political studies published in the preceding year.

The Political Studies Association is the UK’s leading professional body for the study and advancement of political science.

Significant contribution

The book makes a significant contribution to understanding democratic representation by examining how disability intersects with political institutions and political careers.

Drawing on original empirical research, the book analyses how disabled individuals enter politics, the institutional barriers they encounter, and the implications for the composition and functioning of representative bodies.

By placing disability within mainstream debates about political representation, the work advances understanding of how democratic systems respond to the diversity of the populations they serve.

Professor Reher said: “I am honoured that our book has been recognised by the Political Studies Association.

Disability remains underexplored in political science, and we hope this work helps to broaden how representation is understood and studied within democratic systems.

Professor Tom Scotto, Head of the Department of Government and Public Policy at Strathclyde, said: “Huge congratulations to Stefanie on this award. Winning the Mackenzie Book Prize places the book among the most important contributions to UK political science scholarship in the past year and highlights the University of Strathclyde’s continued international strength in political science and public policy research.”