Recent Published Work on Elections and Voters Includes

Collette Schulz-Herzenberg holds a BA Hons in Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (London University), and an M.Sc in Democratic Governance and PhD in Politics from the University of Cape Town (UCT). She completed her postdoctoral fellowship with the Centre for Social Science Research at UCT in 2013, specialising in South African voter behaviour. Collette recently edited a volume on the 2014 South African elections, which was published by Jacana Media. She has 15 years of work experience in the academic and policy-based research arena, and previously worked as a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa, and with the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa), specializing in issues of democracy and governance, corruption and public sector ethics, social justice and human rights, taxation, and citizenship. Collette alsoconsults as a governance specialist for a variety of research-based and non-profit organisations in the region, and an elections specialist for South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) during elections. Collette’s academic interests include political behaviour, elections and voters, party systems, democratisation, and research methods. Her teaching specialisations include Political Behaviour and Political Theory, survey research and quantitative methodologies.

Current research projects:

Collette is part of a global group of scholars that implement the Comparative National Elections Project (CNP) post-election public opinion surveys in over 30 democracies. Collette also collaborates with various scholars in the Southern African region to implement and analyse national public opinion surveys in countries like Kenya and South Africa.

Recent published work on elections and voters includes:

Schulz-Herzenberg, C & Southall, R. (eds), Election 2014 South Africa: The campaigns, results and future prospects, Jacana Media & Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 2014.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. ‘The influence of the social context on South African voters’, Journal of Southern African Studies, Vol. 40: 4, 839-859, 2014.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. Managing public opinion during the 2009 South African elections. In H Thuynsma (ed), Public Opinion and Interest Group Politics: South Africa’s Missing Links? Africa Institute of South Africa, 2012, pp. 135-153.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. Participation and party support in the 2011 municipal elections. In S Booysen (ed), Local elections in South Africa: parties, people politics, Sun Press/ Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 2012, pp. 91-114.

Habib, A and Schulz-Herzenberg, C, ‘Democratization and Parliamentary Opposition in Contemporary South Africa: The 2009 National and Provincial Elections in Perspective’, Politikon, Volume 38, Issue 2, 191-210, 2011.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C 2009. Trends in party support and voter behaviour, 1994-2009. In R Southall and J Daniel (eds), Zunami! The 2009 South African elections, Jacana and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, pp. 23-46.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C., ‘A Silent Revolution: South African voters, 1994-2006’, in S Buhlungu, J Daniel, R Southall and J Lutchman (eds), State of the Nation 2007, Human Sciences Research Council Press: Cape Town, 2007, pp. 114-145.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. 2005. The New National party: The end of the road. In J Piombo and L Nijzink (eds), Electoral Politics in South Africa: Assessing the First Democratic Decade. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 166-186.

Policy papers:

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. Aling’o, P & Gatimu, S. Voter information in Kenya’s 2013 election: news media, political discussion and party campaigns, Institute for Security Studies Policy Brief 75, February 2015.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. Aling’o, P & Gatimu, S. The 2013 general elections in Kenya: the integrity of the electoral process, Institute for Security Studies Policy Brief 74, February 2015.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. South Africa’s 2014 National and Provincial Elections, Background Report Elections 2014, Published by Hanns Seidel Foundation, Southern Africa, June 2014.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. Voter participation in the South African 2014 national and provincial elections, Institute for Security Studies Policy Brief 61, August 2014.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. The South African 2014 national and provincial elections: the integrity of the electoral process, Institute for Security Studies Policy Brief 62, August 2014.

Forthcoming in 2016:

Schulz-Herzenberg, C & Gouws, A. What’s trust got to do with it? Measuring levels of political trust in South Africa 20 years after democratic transition. Forthcoming special issue of Politikon, 2016.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C. The South African Electoral Commission: Twenty Years of Democracy. In M Ndletyana, OSISA & SADC Electoral Commission Forum publication: publication in 2016.

Schulz-Herzenberg, C & Gouws, A. Does political trust lead to reconciliation? In K Lefko-Everett, R Govender, & D Foster (eds), Reconciliation in South Africa after 20 Years of Democracy, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation publication. HSRC Press: publication in 2016.