Ida-Elise Seppola Asplund
PhD Fellow, Political Science
Ida-Elise Seppola Asplund is a PhD student at the SUCCESS-project. She did her bachelor’s in political science at UiT – The Artic University of Norway, and holds a master in Comparative Politics from the University of Bergen.
Ida-Elise's master thesis explored why countries introduce different mechanisms to secure the election of women to national parliaments, mainly focusing on compliance mechanisms in combination with legislative quotas. By using Ragins QCA and case studies she developed and tested a new theory that might explain why political parties suggest and adopts obligatory quotas (list rejection) or voluntary quotas/incentives (financial sanctions or rewards).
During her studies she has been engaged in student politics and several student organizations. Before joining the SUCCESS-team, she worked as a trainee in the administration at the Western Norway University of applied sciences and participated in the trainee program of Bergen chamber of commerce and industry.
Get to know Ida-Elise
Is there a TV-show you are binging now?
Nothing at the moment, still mourning after Bridgerton season 2.
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If you could have dinner with someone famous, dead, or alive, who would it be?
Jens Stoltenberg or Beyonce. Hard choice.
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Which podcasts are you listening to right now and why?
Aftenpodden, because who doesn’t love the famous Bergenser Trine Eilertsen, combined with the latest news from Norwegian politics. Other podcasts worth mentioning is “Nokon må gå” by Bergens tidene and “Giæver og Gjengen” from VG. Now and then I listen to the entertainment podcasts “Harm og Hegseth” and “Tussvik og Tønne” to have some idea of what’s going on outside the political bubble. Did you know Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Baker are getting married?
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What kind of music are you listening to these days?
Nothing original, mostly Beyonce, Robyn, Gabrielle and 2000`s hits. And Ukraine’s Eurovision Song Contest winner-song, “Stefania”!
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Is there a book you would recommend within your field?
I would recommend "Gendered Electoral Financing :Money, Power and Representation in Comparative Perspective" by our very own project leader, Ragnhild.
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Which novel would you recommend for purely entertainment purposes?
The century trilogy by Ken Follet.
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What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
Cuddle with my dog and have wine with friends. Preferably at the same time. Also, getting served dinner by my boyfriend.
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If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be, and what would you be doing?
Lying on a beach in Spain. I`m a simple creature.
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What is your background?
From the ice hood in the artic atmosphere aka Tromsø. I got sick of 9 moths of winter, so I moved to Bergen in 2019 to enjoy 11,5 moths of rain instead. You can say I´m a climate refugee.
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What will you be researching on the SUCCESS-project?
I will be investigating the career strategies and support networks of Norwegian members of parliament. The aim is to explore which re-election strategies incumbents pursue, and whether these strategies are gendered. I will also examine how the support-networks of incumbents ( such as family, party organizations, NGOs etc) might affect their strategies, as well as their possibilities and desires for re-election.
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