Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal Statement
Born and educated in the United States, I spent 25 years researching and teaching in South Africa, before moving to Strathclyde in 2016. My research focuses on issues and challenges of sustaining democracy, by studying voting, public opinion, and elected legislatures, in the developing world in general, and Africa and South Africa in particular.
Research Interests
I work on issues of democratization primarlily through the tools of survey research but also employ other methods of institutional analysis. I am co-founder and Senior Adviser of Afrobarometer, a regular survey of public opinion in 35 African countries (www.afrobarometer.org). I am also co-founder and co-Principal Investigator of the African Legislatures Project, a study of legislatures and legislators in 17 countries(www.cssr.uct.ac.za/alp). Finally, I am the founder and Principal Investigator of the South African National Election Study, a longitudinal series of post-election surveys dating back to South AFrica's first democratic election of 1994 (www.cssr.uct.ac.za/daru/sanes). These studies are also carried out in association with the Comparative National Elections Project, and Comparative Study of Electoral Systems project.
Expertise & Capabilities
Survey Research
Comparative Politics
African Politics
South African Politics
United States Politics
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Award Date: 15 Feb 1992
Master of Arts, University of Delaware
Award Date: 14 Jun 1986
Bachelor of Arts, Youngstown State University
Award Date: 16 Jun 1984
External positions
Honorary Professor, University of Cape Town
1 Jan 2017 → …
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Network
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Global Barometer Surveys
Chu, Y., Mattes, R., Lagos, M., Haerpfer, C., Tessler, M. & Shastri, S.
1/06/00 → …
Project: Research
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The roles of higher education in the democratization of politics in Africa: survey reports from HERANA
Mattes, R. & Luescher-Mamashela, T. M., 2012, In: Journal of Higher Education in Africa. 10, 1, p. 139-170 32 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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'Asocial Cohesion': Political Community and Social Capital in Africa's Democratizing Societies
Mattes, R., 2013, Regional Integration and and Social Cohesion: Perspectives From the Developing World. Moore, C. (ed.). Brussels, Vol. 6. p. 73-92 29 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
Datasets
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Afrobarometer Survey 2002-2004, Merged 16 Country, Round 2
Mattes, R. (Creator), Gyimah-Boadi, E. (Creator), Bratton, M. (Creator) & Logan, C. (Contributor), 3 Feb 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/9fy7-0562, https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/142 and 2 more links, https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/, http://www.afrobarometer.org/ (show fewer)
Dataset
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Afrobarometer Survey 2005-2006, Merged 18 Country, Round 3
Mattes, R. (Creator), Gyimah-Boadi, E. (Creator), Bratton, M. (Creator) & Logan, C. (Creator), 24 Nov 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/q2cx-1p62, https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/143
Dataset
Prizes
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Liphart/Przeworski/Verba Data Set Award
Mattes, Robert (Recipient), Bratton, M. (Recipient) & Gyimah-Boadi, E. (Recipient), 2004
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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STIAS Fellow. Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study
Mattes, Robert (Recipient), Jul 2010
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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World Politics (Journal)
Robert Mattes (Peer reviewer)
2020Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Journal peer review
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Is Africa Lost in Transitions?
Robert Mattes (Speaker) & E. Gyimah-Boadi (Speaker)
25 Jan 2022Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation