Jack Newman

Jack is a public policy researcher specialising in decentralisation and place-based policy. He is currently working on The Place Project and the Post Implementation Review of the Health and Care Act 2022. Both projects sit within the Centre for Primary Care and Health Services Research.

Jack’s research considers how place-based policymaking is affected by the structure of multi-level systems. In simple terms: how do we move power downwards in a way that improves local policy and services? This includes an ongoing focus on spatial inequality: how do we decentralise in way that benefits disadvantaged places? Jack’s academic contribution sits across the disciplines of political science, public public, social policy, and regional studies.

In recent years, Jack has worked on research projects at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Surrey, Leeds. He has worked in partnership with government departments (MHCLG, DHSC) and leading think tanks (IfG, Demos). Through his written work in blogs, media, and think tank reports, and oral contributions to public panels, policy roundtables, and government committees, Jack has made important additions to the national policy debate. He has impacted issues around English devolution, local accountability, policy geographies, and public health.

Although primarily a qualitative researcher, Jack’s research has combined elements of qualitative and quantitative methods. He has published work utilising discourse analysis, qualitative interviews, focus groups, social network analysis, and spatial statistics. Underpinning this methodological pluralism is a critical realist approach to social science, on which Jack has published theoretical developments. Jack is also a lead organiser of the international Critical Realism Discussion Group.