Dr Rick Harmes

Dr Rick Harmes is an academic researcher and former public servant. His main research interests are public value, constitutionalism, political design, localism, and devolution. Rick has UK and European experience in teaching and lecturing, as well as in the management of public services for children, young people and families.

As a third-age student, Rick was awarded an MRes in Politics at the University of Exeter in 2010. In 2017, he was was awarded an Exeter PhD for his research on localism and the design of political sysyems. During this period Rick also worked for the university as a tutor, lecturer, and research fellow, and he represented Exeter on the BBC quiz programme 'University Challenge'.

Apart form his core work in localism and public policy, Rick has a keen interest in philosophy and political theory. In 2021, he was invited to become an affiliate of Exeter University's Centre for Political Thought.

Rick's book Localism and the Design of Political Systems was published by Routledge in 2021. He is currently working on a book project about power, politics, and public value.