Hi, I'm Jack Bailey.

I'm a political scientist at the University of Manchester and a Co-Director of the British Election Study , Britain's longest-running social survey.

I study elections: how people vote, how electoral systems shape the results, and how we measure what happens. My current research uses information theory — the mathematics of information, uncertainty, and communication — to rethink core ideas in political science, including how many meaningful parties compete in a system and how electoral systems translate votes into seats.

On this site, you'll find my public writing and an open notebook where I share ideas in progress, new questions, and work that is still taking shape.

I'm also available for media, public commentary, and collaboration. If you need someone to explain political science to a general audience, please get in touch .