Jean Drage

Biography

Jean has long term research interests in local government and politics, particularly issues of representation and participation. She wrote A Balancing Act: Representation and Decision-Making in New Zealand’s Local Government (2008) and has co-edited several books on local government, including Along a Fault-Line: New Zealand’s Changing Local Government Landscape (2011) and a new text on Local Government in New Zealand, due for publication in 2016. She also has a special interest in women’s representation in local government, her publications including research on the leadership of New Zealand’s women mayors and comparative factors that impact on women’s representation in several countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Research Interest

Jean's area of expertise is in Local government and politics, Comparative politics, Political representation. Jean also has an evolving interest in politics in a post-disaster environment, particularly the role of local government. She worked for both the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and the Christchurch City Council (on secondment) in the 3 years following the Canterbury earthquakes.