Raj Chari

About Raj

I study comparative public policy, with a particular focus on lobbying regulation and the relationship between business and politics. As a Professor in Political Science at Trinity College Dublin, I bring an international perspective to this work—born and raised in Canada, I earned my BA (hons.) and MA from the University of Saskatchewan, and my PhD from Queen's University, conducting my doctoral research at the Juan March Institute in Madrid.

I've authored 10 books, edited volumes, and special issues with leading academic presses including Oxford University Press and Manchester University Press. Recent highlights include a 2-part Special Issue on Lobbying Regulation in Interest Groups and Advocacy, and the forthcoming Oxford Handbook on Lobbying and its Regulation (2026). I've also published 40 papers and book chapters. In 2025, I received the Inspiring Educator Award, in Trinity College Dublin.

Beyond academia, I've advised governments and institutions across the globe on developing lobbying laws, from Ireland, the UK, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Serbia, New South Wales (Australia), and Finland. I've also provided expert guidance to major international bodies including the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, and have written reports for organizations such as the UN. Between 2014-2018, I served as an independent researcher for the Open Government Partnership, evaluating Ireland's transparency policies. Since 2022, I've served on Ireland's Advisory Council Against Economic Crime and Corruption, where I help develop policy responses to combat financial crime and reduce corruption. Since September 2025, I'm the Director of Trinity Research in Social Science (TRiSS).