My research lies at the intersection of comparative public administration, politics and policy and focuses on the performance of governments and bureaucracies in different environments. I study how public bureaucracies interact with politicians, citizens, and other stakeholders, and how societal, cultural and historical factors affect how governments function. I am particularly interested in the effect of country size on the structure, stability and performance of governments and public administrations. More recently, I have developed a research agenda on administrative traditions from a conceptual and empirical perspective. Further research interests include crisis management, vulnerability and learning, and bureaucratic reputation.