Rory Costello


Contact Details

Associate Professor
Department of Politics and Public Administration
T: +353 61202916
E: rory.costello@ul.ie
 
researcher

Biography

Rory Costello specialises in electoral and legislative politics in Europe, with a particular focus on Ireland and on the European Union. Before coming to UL in 2011, Rory worked at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has published on topics such as election pledge fulfilment, party politics in the European Parliament, the division of power among EU institutions, bicameralism, political representation, and coalition formation. His research has appeared in a variety of international journals including (among others) Party Politics, European Union Politics, Journal of European Public Policy, Electoral Studies, West European Politics, and American Journal of Political Science. He runs the WhichCandidate voting aid application (www.whichcandidate.ie)

Edited Books

  Year Publication
2020 Comparative European Politics: Distinctive Democracies, Common Challenges
Costello, Rory; Robinson, Neil (Ed.). (2020) Comparative European Politics: Distinctive Democracies, Common Challenges Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
2022 'How does the composition of the European Parliament shape its role in EU decision-making?'
Costello, R (2022) 'How does the composition of the European Parliament shape its role in EU decision-making?'. Journal Of European Public Policy, 29 :117-135 [DOI] [Details]
2021 'Issue congruence between voters and parties: examining the democratic party mandate in Ireland'
Costello, R (2021) 'Issue congruence between voters and parties: examining the democratic party mandate in Ireland'. Irish Political Studies, 36 :581-605 [DOI] [Details]
2020 'Rally around the EU flag: Irish party positions on the EU in the wake of Brexit'
Costello, R (2020) 'Rally around the EU flag: Irish party positions on the EU in the wake of Brexit'. Journal Of Contemporary European Studies, [DOI] [ULIR Link] [Details]
2020 'Congruence between voters and parties: The role of party-level issue salience'
Costello R.;Toshkov D.;Bos B.;Krouwel A. (2020) 'Congruence between voters and parties: The role of party-level issue salience'. European Journal Of Political Research, [DOI] [Details]
2017 'The Fulfillment of Parties’ Election Pledges: A Comparative Study on the Impact of Power Sharing'
Thomson, R; R Royed; E Naurin; J Artés; R Costello; L Ennser-Jedenastik; M Ferguson; P Kostandinova; C Moury; F Pétry; K Praprontnik (2017) 'The Fulfillment of Parties’ Election Pledges: A Comparative Study on the Impact of Power Sharing'. American Journal Of Political Science, 61 (3):527-542 [DOI] [Details]
2017 'The miracle of the markets: Identifying key campaign events in the Scottish independence referendum using betting odds'
Wall, M; Costello, R; Lindsay, S (2017) 'The miracle of the markets: Identifying key campaign events in the Scottish independence referendum using betting odds'. Electoral Studies, 46 :39-47 [DOI] [Details]
2017 'The ideological space in Irish politics: comparing voters and parties'
Costello, Rory (2017) 'The ideological space in Irish politics: comparing voters and parties'. Irish Political Studies, 32 (3):404-431 [DOI] [ULIR Link] [Details]
2016 'Governing together in good and bad economic times: the fulfilment of election pledges in Ireland'
Thomson, Robert; Costello, Rory (2016) 'Governing together in good and bad economic times: the fulfilment of election pledges in Ireland'. Irish Political Studies, 31 (2):182-203 [DOI] [Details]
2016 'Bicameralism, nationality and party cohesion in the European Parliament'
Costello, Rory; Thomson, Robert (2016) 'Bicameralism, nationality and party cohesion in the European Parliament'. Party Politics, 22 (6):773-783 [DOI] [ULIR Link] [Details]
2013 'The distribution of power among EU institutions: who wins under codecision and why?'
Costello, R,Thomson, R (2013) 'The distribution of power among EU institutions: who wins under codecision and why?'. Journal Of European Public Policy, 20 :1025-1039 [DOI] [ULIR Link] [Details]
2012 'A new dataset on decision-making in the European Union before and after the 2004 and 2007 enlargements (DEUII)'
Thomson, R,Arregui, J,Leuffen, D,Costello, R,Cross, J,Hertz, R,Jensen, T (2012) 'A new dataset on decision-making in the European Union before and after the 2004 and 2007 enlargements (DEUII)'. Journal Of European Public Policy, 19 :604-622 [DOI] [Details]
2012 'European Parliament Elections and Political Representation: Policy Congruence between Voters and Parties'
Costello, R,Thomassen, J,Rosema, M (2012) 'European Parliament Elections and Political Representation: Policy Congruence between Voters and Parties'. West European Politics, 35 :1226-1248 [DOI] [ULIR Link] [Details]
2011 'The nexus of bicameralism: Rapporteurs' impact on decision outcomes in the European Union'
Costello, R; Thomson, R (2011) 'The nexus of bicameralism: Rapporteurs' impact on decision outcomes in the European Union'. European Union Politics, 12 (3):337-357 [DOI] [Details]
2011 'Does Bicameralism Promote Stability? Inter-institutional Relations and Coalition Formation in the European Parliament'
Costello, R (2011) 'Does Bicameralism Promote Stability? Inter-institutional Relations and Coalition Formation in the European Parliament'. West European Politics, 34 (1):122-144 [DOI] [ULIR Link] [Details]
2010 'The policy impact of leadership in committees: Rapporteurs' influence on the European Parliament's opinions'
Costello, R; Thomson, R (2010) 'The policy impact of leadership in committees: Rapporteurs' influence on the European Parliament's opinions'. European Union Politics, 11 (2):219-240 [DOI] [Details]
2009 'Picking your party online - An investigation of Ireland's first online voting advice application'
Wall, M; Sudulich, M.L.; Costello, R., Leon, E. (2009) 'Picking your party online - An investigation of Ireland's first online voting advice application'. Information Polity, 14 (3):203-218 [DOI] [Details]
2008 'Election Pledges and their Enactment in Coalition Governments: A Comparative Analysis of Ireland'
Costello, R.; Thomson, R. (2008) 'Election Pledges and their Enactment in Coalition Governments: A Comparative Analysis of Ireland'. Journal Of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, 18 (3):239-256 [DOI] [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
2021 'Election Pledge Fulfilment Under Minority Government'
Costello, R; Sheridan, A; Casey, D (2021) 'Election Pledge Fulfilment Under Minority Government' In: Gallagher, M; Marsh, M; Reidy, T (eds). How Ireland Voted 2020: The End of an Era. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave macmillan. [DOI] [Details]
2018 'Party identification in the wake of the crisis: A nascent realignment?'
Costello, R (2018) 'Party identification in the wake of the crisis: A nascent realignment?' In: POST-CRISIS IRISH VOTER. MANCHESTER: MANCHESTER UNIV PRESS. [Details]
2019 'Ireland'
Thomson R.;Costello R.;Love E. (2019) 'Ireland' In: Naurin, E; T Royed, and R Thomson (eds). Party Mandates and Democracy: Making, Breaking, and Keeping Election Pledges in Twelve Countries. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. [Details]
2019 'European elections gradually becoming less 'second-order' in Ireland'
Costello, R (2019) 'European elections gradually becoming less 'second-order' in Ireland' In: Bolin, N; K Falasca; M Grussell; L Nord (eds). Euroflections: Leading academics on the European elections 2019. Sundsvall: Mittuniversitetet. [Details]
2017 'Bicameralism'
Costello, R (2017) 'Bicameralism' In: The Sage Encyclopedia of Political Behavior. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications. [DOI] [Details]
2016 'The Fulfilment of Election Pledges by the Outgoing Government'
Costello, Rory; O'Neill, Paul; Thomson, Robert (2016) 'The Fulfilment of Election Pledges by the Outgoing Government' In: How Ireland Voted 2016: The Election that Nobody Won. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [DOI] [Details]
2008 'The fulfilment of election pledges'
Costello, R; Thomson, R (2008) 'The fulfilment of election pledges' In: How Ireland Voted 2007. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmilan. [DOI] [Details]

Conference Contributions

  Year Publication
2017 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
R Costello (2017) Candidate Responsiveness to Constituency Opinion under PR-STV: Evidence from Ireland. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Dublin , 13-OCT-17 - 15-OCT-17 [Details]
2017 Mid-West Political Science Association Annual Conference,
R. Thomson, C. Moury, R. Costello, M. Ferguson and K. Praprotnik (2017) The Effect of Ministerial Porfolio Allocation on the Fulfilment of Election Pledges. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Mid-West Political Science Association Annual Conference, Chicago , 04-APR-17 - 07-APR-17 [Details]
2016 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting,
R. Thomson, T. Royed, E. Naurin, J. Artes, R. Costello, D. Duval, M. Ferguson, P. Kostadinova, C. Moury, F Petry and K Prapotnik (2016) Why do Governments Fulfill Opposition Parties’ Election Pledges?. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia , 01-SEP-16 - 04-SEP-16 [Details]
2017 European Consortium for Political Research General Conference,
R. Costello, P. Dumont, R. Thomson, M. Kerby and E. O’Malley (2017) Ministerial Effects on the Fulfilment of Election Pledges. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], European Consortium for Political Research General Conference, Oslo , 04-APR-17 - 06-APR-17 [Details]
2016 The Responsible Party Model in Times of Dealignment,
Rory Costello and Achillefs Papageorgiou (2016) Issue Salience, Party Priorities and Representation: Evidence from Ireland. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], The Responsible Party Model in Times of Dealignment, Leuven, Belgium , 19-DEC-16 - 20-DEC-16 [Details]
2016 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory (2016) Party identification in Ireland. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Belfast , 07-OCT-16 - 09-OCT-16 [Details]
2016 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory; Papageorgiou, Achillefs (2016) Issue salience and policy representation: evidence from the 2016 Irish general election. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Belfast , 07-OCT-16 - 09-OCT-16 [Details]
2015 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory (2015) Euroscepticism without politicisation: the case of Ireland during the financial crisis. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Cork , 16-OCT-15 - 18-OCT-15 [Details]
2015 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory; McInerney, Rita (2015) Gender Identity and Vote Choice: evidence from the 2014 European Parliament elections in Ireland. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Cork , 16-OCT-15 - 18-OCT-15 [Details]
2014 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory (2014) A candidate-centred voting advice application for Irish elections. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Galway , 17-OCT-14 - 19-OCT-14 [Details]
2014 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Wall, Matthew; Costello, Rory; Lindsay, Stephen (2014) Lagging or Leading: Do online betting markets lead or follow opinion polls?. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Galway , 17-OCT-14 - 19-OCT-14 [Details]
2014 European Parliament Information Office: conference on outcome of the European Parliament elections,
Costello, R (2014) The Irish election campaign. [Invited Lecture], European Parliament Information Office: conference on outcome of the European Parliament elections, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin , 28-MAY-14 - 28-MAY-14 [Details]
2014 MacGill Summer School,
Costello, R (2014) The EU should be seen as a potential solution to the crisis of democracy, not the cause. [Invited Lecture], MacGill Summer School, Glenties, Donegal , 25-JUL-14 - 25-JUL-14 [Details]
2014 Royal Irish Academy: Models of Bicameralism,
Costello, R (2014) Bicameralism in the EU. [Invited Lecture], Royal Irish Academy: Models of Bicameralism, Dublin , 04-FEB-14 - 04-FEB-14 [Details]
2013 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Thomson, Robert and Costello, Rory (2013) Governing together in turbulent times: the fulfilment of election pledges in Ireland. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Dublin , 18-OCT-13 - 20-OCT-13 [Details]
2013 MPSA Annual Conference, Chicago,
Costello, Rory (2013) The effect of turnout on party dispersion. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], MPSA Annual Conference, Chicago, Chicago , 11-APR-13 - 14-APR-13 [Details]
2013 European Political Science Association Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory (2013) The effect of turnout on party competition. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], European Political Science Association Annual Conference, Barcelona , 20-JUN-13 - 22-NOV-13 [Details]
2013 European Political Science Association Annual Conference,
Costello, Rory and Robert Thomson (2013) National and party-group loyalties in the European Parliament. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], European Political Science Association Annual Conference, Barcelona , 20-JUN-13 - 22-JUN-13 [Details]
2012 Sixth Pan-European Conference on EU Politics,
Costello, R; Thomson, R (2012) The Distribution of Power among Parliament, Council and Commission. Sixth Pan-European Conference on EU Politics, Tampere, Finland , 13-SEP-12 - 15-SEP-12 [Details]
2011 Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference,
Thomassen, J; Costello, R; Rosema, M (2011) European Parliament Elections and Political Representation: Assessing the policy congruence between voters and parties. Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference, Chicago , 31-MAR-11 - 04-APR-11 [Details]
2009 Netherlands Institute of Governance Annual Workshop,
Costello, R (2009) Semi-detached Houses? Geographic representation and bicameral relations in the European Union'. Netherlands Institute of Governance Annual Workshop, Leiden , 12-NOV-09 - 13-NOV-09 [Details]
2010 Fifth Pan-European Conference on EU Politics,
Costello, R (2010) A People's House and a States' House? Understanding conflict between the European Union's legislative institutions. Fifth Pan-European Conference on EU Politics, Porto, Portugal , 24-JUN-09 - 26-JUN-09 [Details]
2009 Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference,
Costello, R (2009) Does Bicameralism Promote Stability? The impact of bicameral agreements on coalition formation in the European Parliament. Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference, Chicago , 02-APR-09 - 05-APR-12 [Details]
2008 Netherlands Institute of Governance Annual Workshop,
Costello, R (2008) Partisan composition and bicameral relations in EU legislative politics. Netherlands Institute of Governance Annual Workshop, Enschede , 20-NOV-08 - 21-NOV-08 [Details]
2007 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, R; Thomson, R (2007) Election pledges and their enactment in coalition governments: Evidence from Ireland and the Netherlands. Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Dublin , 19-OCT-07 - 21-OCT-07 [Details]
2006 Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference,
Costello, R; Thomson, R (2006) The Policy Impact of Rapporteurs in the European Parliament. Political Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, Cork , 20-OCT-06 - 22-OCT-06 [Details]
2013 MPSA Annual Conference, Chicago,
Costello, Rory and Robert Thomson (2013) The distribution of power among EU institutions: who wins under codecision and why?. [Non Refereed Paper/Abstract Presented at Conference], MPSA Annual Conference, Chicago, Chicago , 11-APR-13 - 14-APR-13 [Details]

Blog

  Year Publication
2017 How well do Irish political parties represent the views of voters?.
Costello, R (2017) How well do Irish political parties represent the views of voters?. Blog [Details]
2016 Which government best reflects the ‘will of the people’?.
Costello, R (2016) Which government best reflects the ‘will of the people’?. Blog [Details]
2015 The European Parliament’s transnational party groups are surprisingly cohesive, but don’t underestimate the potential for national divisions.
Costello, Rory; Thomson, Robert (2015) The European Parliament’s transnational party groups are surprisingly cohesive, but don’t underestimate the potential for national divisions. Blog [DOI] [Details]
2014 The Irish European Parliament elections will be fought on the basis of personalities rather than parties.
Costello, R (2014) The Irish European Parliament elections will be fought on the basis of personalities rather than parties. Blog [Details]
2014 A surge in support for independents and fringe parties is leading to an increasingly fragmented Irish party system.
Costello, Rory (2014) A surge in support for independents and fringe parties is leading to an increasingly fragmented Irish party system. Blog [Details]

Book Review

  Year Publication
2019 A Conservative Revolution? Electoral Change in Twenty-First-Century Ireland.
Costello, R (2019) A Conservative Revolution? Electoral Change in Twenty-First-Century Ireland. LONDON: Book Review [DOI] [Details]
2013 The Strain of Representation: How Parties Represent Diverse Voters in Western and Eastern Europe.
Costello, R (2013) The Strain of Representation: How Parties Represent Diverse Voters in Western and Eastern Europe. Book Review [DOI] [Details]

Newspaper Articles

  Year Publication
2016 Abortion issue divides opinion in parties, suvery shows.
Costello, Rory (2016) Abortion issue divides opinion in parties, suvery shows. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2016 Economic issues provide election's common ground.
Costello, Rory (2016) Economic issues provide election's common ground. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2016 Fine Gael and Labour differ on almost half of election issues - survey.
Costello, Rory (2016) Fine Gael and Labour differ on almost half of election issues - survey. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2015 Outcome will be regarded as barometer of party strength.
Costello, Rory (2015) Outcome will be regarded as barometer of party strength. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2015 Housing crisis emerges as single biggest election issue.
Costello, Rory (2015) Housing crisis emerges as single biggest election issue. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2014 Online tool helps byelection voters to assess candidates.
Costello, Rory (2014) Online tool helps byelection voters to assess candidates. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2014 The rise of independents…what does it mean for policy-making?.
Costello, R (2014) The rise of independents…what does it mean for policy-making?. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2014 Sinn Féin surge cannot be explained by anti-EU sentiment.
Costello, R; Wall, M (2014) Sinn Féin surge cannot be explained by anti-EU sentiment. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2014 Are parties in tune with their supporters on matters of policy?.
Costello, R (2014) Are parties in tune with their supporters on matters of policy?. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2014 Online tool can help find party closest to your political views.
Costello, R (2014) Online tool can help find party closest to your political views. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2012 Why hasn’t a far-right party like Golden Dawn emerged in Ireland?.
Costello, R (2012) Why hasn’t a far-right party like Golden Dawn emerged in Ireland?. Newspaper Articles [Details]
2012 Sharing power is bad for the health of junior coalition partners.
Costello, R (2012) Sharing power is bad for the health of junior coalition partners. Newspaper Articles [Details]

Teaching Interests

My primary teaching interests lie in European politics, including both the European Union and the comparative study of European countries. I have also taught in the areas of political behaviour, research methods, and Irish politics.                       

PO5005 Graduate Research Methods
PO4015  Government and Politics of the EU
PO4023  Comparative European Politics
PO5081  Academic and Transferable Skills
PO5232 Representative Democracy in Europe