Experts & Expertise

• Public accountability
• Citizenship
• Democracy
• Leadership
• Philosophy
• Philosophy of science
• Public administration

Niels Karsten (1984) in an Assistant Professor at Tilburg School of Politics and Public Administration. In September 2007, he graduated cum laude in the two-year Research Master Public Administration and Organizational Science (MSc), a cooperation between Tilburg University, Utrecht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam. In August 2008 he obtained a Master s degree in Philosophy of Science (MA) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 2009 he received the prof. H.W. Lambersprize for the best double Master's student from Erasmus University Rotterdam. Niels defended his PhD thesis, entitled 'Decide and Defend: Regaining Authority for Controversial Decisions through Rendering Account', on 12th of April 2013.

Niels Karsten is an Assistant Professor at Tilburg School of Politics and Public Administration. His research specialises in local political-executive leadership. His PhD-project focused on public leadership accountability in consensus democracies. Between 2004 and 2007 Niels was a researcher for the Centre for Local Democracy (Erasmus University Rotterdam), while he was a student-assistant of dr. L. Schaap. Between 2002 and 2004 he was a student-member of the Public Administration Education Committee, Erasmus University Rotterdam.

- Paper on the authority of mayors and aldermen in the Netherlands for the Ministry of the Interior(2012)

- Secretary to the chairman of the visitation Committee Bestuurskrachtmeting-nieuwe-stijl, municipality of Drechterland (2011)

- Study on innovations in European local and regional government for the Council for Public Administration (2009 )

- A study on citizen participation with regard to the Dutch urban renewal program 'Actieplan Krachtwijken' for the Landelijk Samenwerkingsverband Aandachtswijken (2008 - 2009)

- Evaluation of Dutch decentralization policies between 1993 and 2008 for the Ministry of the Interior in 2008

- Exploration of the future of the Dutch mayor for the Nederlands Genootschap van Burgemeesters (2008 - 2009)

Prof. H.W. Lambersprize 2009 for an outstanding student who has completed two Master?s degrees - Erasmus University Rotterdam

Karsten, N. (2012). Directive decision-making in a consensus context: regaining authority for controversial decisions through rendering account, Paper for Citizens and Leaders in a Comparative Perspective, panel: Leadership 26-27 October 2012, Moscow, Russian Federation

Karsten, N. & Hendriks, F. (2012). Democratic theory and the anomaly of leadership, paper for the Transatlantic Dialogue, Workshop Leadership qualities, perceptions, and actions: who is doing what, when and how?, 6-9 June 2012, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Karsten, N. & Hendriks, F. (2011). Kaleidoscopic Leadership in Contemporary Democracies, paper for the ECPR General Conference, panel Comparing local political leadership: from innovation to change?, 25th - 27th August 2011, University of Iceland, Reykjavik

Cachet, A., Karsten, N. & Schaap, L (2011). The Dutch Anomaly: Appointed Mayors Can Appointed Mayors Cope with Role Changes and Societal Demands?, paper for PSA Conference, New Local Politics III: Parties, Mayors and Councillors in Comparative Perspective, 19 - 21 April 2011, London

Karsten, N. & Hendriks, F. (2011). Kaleidoscopic Leadership in Contemporary Democracies, paper for the ECPR General Conference, panel Comparing local political leadership: from innovation to change?, 25th - 27th August 2011, University of Iceland, Reykjavik

Cachet, A., Karsten, N. & Schaap, L (2011). The Dutch Anomaly: Appointed Mayors Can Appointed Mayors Cope with Role Changes and Societal Demands?, paper for PSA Conference, New Local Politics III: Parties, Mayors and Councillors in Comparative Perspective, 19 - 21 April 2011, London

Karsten, N. (2009). Explaining and justifying authoritative decisions: siting controversial facilities for the homeless in Rotterdam, paper for European Group of Public Administration, Permanent Study Group Local Governance and Democracy, Malta, 2-5 September, 2009

Karsten, N., A. Cachet & L. Schaap (2009). Zorg dat het een prachtbaan blijft: naar een herijking van het burgemeestersambt?, paper for Politicologenetmaal, workshop Local politics in the Netherlands and Flanders, 28-29 May, Berg en Dal, the Netherlands

Boogers, M., L. Schaap, E.D. Collignon - van den Munckhof & N. Karsten (2008). The challenge of decentralization: empowering or overloading local government?, paper for European Group of Public Administration, Permanent Study Group Local Governance and Democracy, Rotterdam, 3-6 September, 2008

Boogers, M., L. Schaap, E.D. van den Munckhof & N. Karsten (2008). Decentralisatie als opgave: over de vernieuwing en veerkracht van het Nederlands lokaal bestuur, paper for Politicologenetmaal, workshop Local Government in the 21st century, Berg en Dal, The Netherlands, 29-30 May, 2008

Schaap, L. & N. Karsten (2007). Problems in Dutch local and regional government? Then, amalgamate!, paper for European Group of Public Administration, Permanent Study Group Local Governance and Democracy, Madrid, Spain, 19-22 September, 2007

Hendriks, F. & Karsten, N. (2012). Theory of democratic leadership in action, Paper for Citizens and Leaders in a Comparative Perspective, panel: Leadership 26-27 October 2012, Moscow, Russian Federation

Karsten, N. (2012). Therefore in your backyard: attaining and maintaining authority for controversial decisions through rendering account, Paper for the International Conference in Interpretive Policy Analysis, Panel Understanding Processes of Policy Contestation, 5-7 July 2012, Tilburg, the Netherlands

N. Karsten MSc.MA. teaches the following subjects:

• Start Seminar: Public Administration and Government (630235) Further information
• Start seminar: Praxis and Research (630236) Further information
• Start Seminar (660401) Further information