Lise Rakner is Professor of political science at the Department of Government, University of Bergen. Her research interests cover the fields of democratization and autocratization, with particular emphasis on human rights, electoral politics, political parties and processes of democratic backsliding. Rakner's work also extents to political economy, with an emphasis on economic reforms, taxation, business associations, budget processes and aid effectiveness. She has conducted a number of governance assessment analyses for international agencies and donor governments. She holds an adjunct position at the Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI), Bergen. She is the PI of the  following research project Breaking BAD: Understanding Backlash Against Democracy in Africa funded by the Research Council of Norway (FRIHUMSAM), see https://www.democraticbacklash.com/. She is also PI of Autocratization Dynamics: Innovations in Research-Embedded Learning (INPART 2021-2025) and she heads the Zambia country study of Political determinants of sexual and reproductive health in Africa,funded by the RCN, Globvac). In her most recent research projects include  Rights Activism Under Political Uncertainty, she studies NGO activism in Zimbabwe https://www.cmi.no/projects/2706-rights-activism-under-political-uncertainty and PI Norhed:  epistemologies Decolonizing Epistemologies: Disciplines and the University in Relation to the Society and the World (NORHED II)

 

Courses

Bergen Summer research School (BSRS)-PhD Climate Governance (2015), Governance and Inequality (2021)

Sampol 315: Elections and representation (Master level)

Sampol 335. Elections and Representation in Democracies (Master)

Sampol 314: Elections in New democracies (Master level)

Sampol 338: Understanding Backlash Against Democracy

Sampol 100: Introduction to Comparative Politics

Sampol 105: State and nationbuilding

Sampol 219: Politics in the Developing World

Sampol 120: Scandinavian Politics (BA level)

Sampol 250: Writing the Bachelor thesis (BA level)

 

2025

• Donghyun, Danny Choi; Davis, Justine M.; Phillips, Melanie L. et al. (2025). Policymakers’ Abortion Preferences: Understanding the Intersection of Gender and Wealth. (external link)

2024

• Rakner, Lise; Gloppen, Siri (2024). A perfect storm for Zimbabwe´s civil society. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Tønnessen, Liv; Ossome, Lyn et al. (2024). Labour, autocratization and resistance. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Ossome, Lyn; Knutsen, Carl Henrik et al. (2024). The political economy of autocratization. (external link)
• Arriola, Leonardo; Choi, Donghyun Danny; Davis, Justine M. et al. (2024). Framing the Fight for LGBT Rights: How Human Rights and Public Health Narratives Shape Policymaker Support. (external link)
• Marquardt, Kyle Lohse; Rakner, Lise; Mjelde, Hilmar (2024). The US presidential election. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Rakner, Lise (2024). Lobbying in tax policy making: The case of VAT-reform in Tanzania. (external link)

2022

• Rakner, Lise (2022). Democratic backsliding. Analytical perspectives. Roundtable . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). Democratic Backsliding in Africa? Autocratization, Contention and Recillience. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Dupuy, Kendra E; Wang, Vibeke (2022). Democratic Backsliding in Africa? Autocratization, contention and resillience. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Bjelland, Caroline Borge (2022). Divine Intervention: The democratic ethics of pentecostalism in Zambia. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). Verdens verste leder anno 2021. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). Ufahumu-Africa, season 6, episoed 145: Rachel Riedl in A conversation with Leo Arriola, Lise Rakner and Nic van de Walle on democratic backsliding. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). In Pursuit of Development, Season 3, episode 20. Lise Rakner in conversation with Dan Banik on democratic backsliding in Africa. . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). "Hvilket lands ledere er de aller verste" Samtale mellom Lise Rakner og Carl Henrik Knutsen. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). "Hatespeech"- en trussel for ytringsfriheten?. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2022). "The politicization of LGBT rights in Africa". (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Khalaf Allah, Samah; Soumano, Moumouni et al. (2022). Human Rights Activism in Challenging Circumstances. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Van de Walle, Nicolas; Hinfelaar, Marja (2022). Zambia: Backsliding in a Presidential Regime. (external link)
• Dupuy, Kendra E; Arriola, Leonardo; Rakner, Lise (2022). Political Participation and Regime Responses. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Gloppen, Siri; Hinfelaar, Marja (2022). Zimbabwe: Contested Autocratization. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Van de Walle, Nicolas (2022). International Strategies: Sovereignty Claims and Selective Compliance. (external link)
• Sjursen, Ingrid Hoem; Rakner, Lise (2022). Taxing Africa. (external link)
• Hinfelaar, Marja; Rakner, Lise; Sishuwa, Sishuwa et al. (2022). Legal autocratisation ahead of the 2021 Zambian elections. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Shen-Bayh, Fiona; Wang, Vibeke et al. (2022). Legal Strategies in Democratic Backsliding and Resistance in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Shen-Bayh, Fiona; Dupuy, Kendra E et al. (2022). Legal Strategies in Democratic Backsliding and Resistance in Africa. (external link)
• Gichohi, Matthew Kiragu; Rakner, Lise; Shen-Bayh, Fiona et al. (2022). Legal Strategies in Democratic Backsliding and Resistance in Africa. (external link)
• Kao, Kristen; Lust, Ellen; Rakner, Lise (2022). Vote-buying, anti-corruption campaigns, and identity in African elections. (external link)

2021

• Selvik, Lisa-Marie; Rakner, Lise; Wang, Vibeke et al. (2021). Autocratization dynamics in Africa. (external link)
• Bjelland, Caroline Borge; Rakner, Lise (2021). Divine Intervention: The Influence of Pentecostal Sermons on Democratic Values Evidence from Zambia. (external link)
• Hinfelaar, Marja; Kaaba, O'Brien; Zhou, Tony et al. (2021). Comparing legal activism in Zimbabwe and Zambia. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2021). Zambia 2011-2021: Presidentialism, Legal Autocratisation and Democratic Backsliding Institute for Democracy Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa at the University of CapeTown. . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2021). Noen blir absurd rike. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Gichohi, Matthew Kiragu; Arriola, Leonardo (2021). Elite Responses to Policy Reforms in Autocratic Settings. Pre-Analysis Plan. . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2021). Carl Henrik Knutsen: Demokrati og Diktatur. (external link)
• Dulani, Boniface; Rakner, Lise; Benstead, Lindsay et al. (2021). Do women face a different standard? The interplay of gender and corruption in the 2014 presidential elections in Malawi,. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2021). Don’t Touch My Constitution! Civil Society Resistance to Democratic Backsliding in Africa´s Pluralist Regimes. (external link)
• Ivarsflaten, Elisabeth; Rakner, Lise; Mjelde, Hilmar (2021). Utfordringer for demokratiet. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo (2021). Same Rules, Higher Costs: Women’s Pathways to Candidacy in Zambia. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Rakner, Lise (2021). Lobbying and the shaping of tax policies in Tanzania. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2021). Democratic Backsliding in Poland and Hungary. (external link)
• Arriola, Leonardo; Choi, Danny; Davies, Justine Ina et al. (2021). Paying to party: Candidate resources and party switching in new democracies . (external link)

2020

• Rakner, Lise (2020). Lise Rakner and Nic van de Walle: Opposition parties in non-institutionalized party systems: Zambia Elections Research Network: ZERN workshop and analyses of 2021 Zambian elections. (external link)
• Ariansen, Anja Maria Steinsland; Gloppen, Siri; Rakner, Lise et al. (2020). Time for global health diplomacy. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2020). Don´t touch my constitution! The role of pro-democracy movements in African democratic trajectories. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2020). Autocratization and the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo (2020). Democratic Backsliding in Africa? Autocratization, Resilience, and Contention . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo; Phillips, Melanie et al. (2020). Partisanship, Gender, and the Structure of Politician Networks in Zambia . (external link)
• Gloppen, Siri; Rakner, Lise (2020). LGBT Rights in Africa. (external link)

2019

• Rakner, Lise (2019). Kvinner som protesterer. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Gloppen, Siri; Gichohi, Matthew et al. (2019). Roundtable: Researching Backlash against Democracy. (external link)
• Selvik, Lisa-Marie; Rakner, Lise (2019). Breakfast for Democracy: Military coups of today . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2019). Den gode fienden: Fra flytninger til seksuelle minoriteter. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2019). Kvinner som gjør oppgjør. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo; Phillips, Melanie et al. (2019). The Business of Politics. Campaign Costs and Party Switching in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2019). Demokrati i tilbakegang i Afrika . (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo; Donghyun, Danny Choi et al. (2019). Working paper: Women’s Household Bargaining Power and Abortion Policy Preferences: Evidence from Zambian Politicians. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2019). Democratic Rollback in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2019). Political corruption and corruption as a political strategy. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Gloppen, Siri (2019). The perfect enemy: From migrants to sexual minorities. (external link)

2018

• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo (2018). The business of politics: Party defection and candidate selection in Zambia. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2018). Don´t touch my constitution. Civil society resistance and political turnovers in African pluralist regimes.. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2018). Den demokratiske snarveien. (external link)
• Selvik, Lisa-Marie; Rakner, Lise (2018). Breakfast for Democracy: Plunging into a new civil War? Political crisis in Burundi. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2018). Understanding Democratic Backsliding in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2018). Breaking Bad: Understanding Backlash Against Democracy in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leonardo; van de Walle, Nicolas (2018). WORLD AFFAIRS: Threats to Democracy in Africa. . (external link)
• Wang, Vibeke; Benstead, Lindsay; Dulani, Boniface et al. (2018). Traditional Authority, Gender and Political Engagement in Malawi. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2018). The International Dimension of Backlash Against Democracy. (external link)
• Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Wang, Vibeke; Benstead, Lindsay et al. (2018). Why campaigns to stop child marriage can backfire. (external link)
• Lust, Ellen; Rakner, Lise (2018). The other side of taxation: extraction and social institutions in the developing world. (external link)
• Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Wang, Vibeke; Benstead, Lindsay et al. (2018). Why the Gender of Traditional Authorities Matters: Intersectionality and Women’s Rights Advocacy in Malawi. (external link)
• Ballen, Cissy J.; Lee, Dahsol; Rakner, Lise et al. (2018). Politics a “Chilly” Environment for Undergraduate Women in Norway. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Rakner, Lise (2018). Tax bargains in poorly regulated countries: Lobbying and the shaping of tax policies in Tanzania. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2018). Diktatorens lærebok: Kapittelet om Tanzania. . (external link)

2017

• Rakner, Lise (2017). Understanding Backlash against democracy in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). Breaking BAD: Understanding backlash Against Democracy in Africa.. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). “Understanding Backlash against democracy in Africa”.. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). “Slaget om menneskerettighetene. Om demokratiets tilbakegang”. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). “Politician defection in Zambia”,. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). Tax bargains in unlikely places: The politics of Zambian mining taxes. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Randall, Vicky (2017). Institutional Perspectives. (external link)
• Skage, Ingvild Aagedal; Rakner, Lise; Rosario, Carmeliza Soares Da Costa et al. (2017). Africa’s legalized politics of homosexuality: dynamics & effects of criminalization. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leo (2017). LGBT rights in Zambia: Analyzing politicization and contentious episodes. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Skage, Ingvild Aagedal; Arriola, Leo (2017). The politization of LGBT and abortion rights in Zambia: Preliminary findings from survey and qualitative interviews. (external link)
• Gloppen, Siri; Skage, Ingvild Aagedal; Tadele Tefera, Getnet et al. (2017). Political determinants of sexual & reproductive health (Globvac project). (external link)
• Helle, Svein-Erik Hansen; Linde, Jonas; Rakner, Lise (2017). Understanding the Uneven Playing Field. The Multifaceted Role of Unfair Electoral Competition in a Non-Democratic Regime. (external link)
• Benstead, Lindsay; Dulani, Boniface; Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise et al. (2017). The Local Governance Performance Index (LGPI) in Malawi: Selected Findings on Gender. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). Governance. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). Democratization and Regime Change. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Fundanga, Caleb; Rakner, Lise (2017). The rise and fall of the mining royalty regime in Zambia. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). Vafler for demokratiet. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). Breaking BAD: Understanding the Backlash Against Democracy in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2017). demokrati i forfall. (external link)
• Helle, Svein-Erik; Rakner, Lise (2017). The Impact of Elections: The Case of Uganda. (external link)

2016

• Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Wang, Vibeke; Rakner, Lise et al. (2016). Using traditional leaders to end child marriage: Evidence from a survey experiment in Malawi. (external link)
• Skage, Ingvild Aagedal; Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Rakner, Lise (2016). The urban poor as citizens and clients. Enacting political agency through political parties and social movements in Kenya and Zambia. (external link)
• Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Rakner, Lise; Skage, Ingvild Aagedal (2016). Political capital of ruling parties after regime change: contrasting successful insurgencies to peaceful pro-democracy movements. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Fundanga, Caleb; Rakner, Lise (2016). The rise and fall of the mining royalty regime in Zambia.. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Fundanga, Caleb; Rakner, Lise (2016). Lessons from Zambia – From a profit-based tax system, to a revenue-based tax system. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Fundanga, Caleb; Rakner, Lise (2016). Lessons from Zambia … for a more sustainable mining tax regime. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Fundanga, Caleb; Rakner, Lise (2016). Lessons from Zambia - Recommendations for a more sustainable mining tax regime. (external link)
• Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Benstead, Lindsay; Dulani, Boniface et al. (2016). Using traditional leaders to end child marriage: Evidence from a survey experiment in Malawi. (external link)

2015

• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Ngowi, Prosper; Rakner, Lise (2015). Shaping the tax agenda: Public engagement, lobbying and tax reform in Tanzania.. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Arriola, Leo (2015). Reconceptualizing African Party Systems. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2015). “Don’t touch my constitution! Civil society resistance and political turnovers in Africa´s pluralist regimes” (with I. Skage). (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Gloppen, Siri (2015). Norske klimaparadokser. (external link)
• Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise; Rakner, Lise; Skage, Ingvild Aagedal (2015). Explaining Variation in Government Parties’ Willingness to Build Party Organization in Africa. (external link)

2014

• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Johnsøn, Jesper Stenberg; Rakner, Lise (2014). The role of institutions in capital flight, lobbyism and tax evasion. (external link)
• Andreassen, Bård A.; Langford, Malcolm; Rakner, Lise (2014). Memorandum:Overview of research findings regarding aid in support of democratization and human rights observance. (external link)
• Helle, Svein-Erik Hansen; Rakner, Lise (2014). Grabbing’ an election: Abuse of state resources in the 2011 elections in Uganda. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Burnell, Peter (2014). Democracy. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Randall, Vicky (2014). Institutional Perspectives. (external link)
• Gloppen, Siri; Rakner, Lise; Vibe, Vegard Furustøl (2014). Stortingsklima. Klima som valgkamptema og norske politikeres syn på klimautfordringene. (external link)
• Ferraz, Octavio L. Motta; Gloppen, Siri; Mæstad, Ottar et al. (2014). Judging the price of life: cons considerations in right-to-health litigation. (external link)
• Vibe, Vegard Furustøl; Gloppen, Siri; Rakner, Lise (2014). Klimabistand: god bistandspolitikk?. (external link)
• Eide, Elisabeth; Elgesem, Dag; Gloppen, Siri et al. (2014). Norske paradokser. (external link)

2013

• Gloppen, Siri; Ferraz, Octavio L. Motta; Rakner, Lise et al. (2013). ”Prioritization of healthcare: Comparative perspectives”. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2013). “Competition and participation, but no democracy: The politics of elections in Africa´s feckless regimes”. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2013). Foreign Aid and Democratic Consolidation in Zambia. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2013). Electoral mobilization in Uganda and Zambia for the 2011 elections: The interplay between opposition weakness, incumbent strength and the urban/rural electoral divide. (external link)

2012

• Rakner, Lise (2012). WP/016 Foreign Aid and Democratic Consolidation in Zambia. (external link)
• Svåsand, Lars G; Rakner, Lise (2012). Foreign aid, democracy promotion and democratic progress. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2012). Taxation, elections and populism: The salience of taxation Zambian election campaigns 2001-2011. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Helle, Svein-Erik Hansen (2012). The interplay between poverty and electoral authoritarianism: Poverty and regime stability in Uganda and Zambia. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Helle, Svein-Erik Hansen (2012). The interplay between poverty and electoral authoritarianism: Poverty and political mobilization in Zambia and Uganda. (external link)
• Helle, Svein-Erik Hansen; Gloppen, Siri; Rakner, Lise (2012). I pose og sekk? Klima i norsk utviklingspolitikk etter 2005. (external link)
• Linde, Jonas; Rakner, Lise (2012). Elections in hybrid regimes: Assessing the Formal and Informal Underpinnings of Electoral Contests in Africa, Post-Communist Eurasia and the Middle East. (external link)

2011

• Rakner, Lise; Burnell, Peter (2011). Governance and Aid Conditionality in a Globalizing World. (external link)
• Mæstad, Ottar; Rakner, Lise; Ferraz, Octavio L. Motta (2011). Assessing the impact of health rights litigation : a comparative analysis of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, India and South Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2011). In search of the impact of international support for political parties in new democracies: Malawi and Zambia compared. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2011). Institutionalizing the pro-democracy movements: the case of Zambia's Movement for Multiparty Democracy. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Vicky, Randall (2011). Institutional Perspectives. (external link)

2010

• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2010). In search of the impact of international support for political parties in new democracies: Malawi and Zambia compared. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2010). The Management of the 2009 Electoral Process. The Role of the Malawi Electoral Commission. (external link)

2009

• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2009). Valgets politikk: Betydningen av legale og administrative virkemidler for å beholde makten i Malawi og Uganda. (external link)
• Makara, Sabiti; Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2009). Turnaround: The national resistance movement and the reintroduction of a multiparty system in Uganda. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2009). Valgets politikk: Betydningen av administrative og legale virkemidler for å beholde makten i Malawi og Uganda. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Van de Walle, Nicolas (2009). Opposition weakness in Africa. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2009). The administration of the 2009 elections: The role of the Malawi Electoral Commission. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2009). "An aid exit strategy for Zambia". (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Mæstad, Ottar (2009). How do we measure the impact of health right litigation?. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Mæstad, Ottar (2009). When and why do judges consider the costs of health right litigation?. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2009). The impact of international party support to political parties in new democracies: Malawi and Zambia compared. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Van de Walle, Nicolas (2009). Opposition Parties and Incumbent Presidents: The New Dynamics of Electoral Competition in Africa. (external link)

2008

• Rakner, Lise (2008). “Opposition parties and incumbent presidents. The New Dynamics of Electoral Competition in Sub Saharan Africa” (with Nic van de Walle)”. (external link)

2007

• Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G; Khembo, Nixon S. (2007). Fissions and fusions, foes and friends - Party system restructuring in Malawi in the 2004 general elections. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; van de walle, nicloas (2007). Opposition parties in sub-saharan Africa. (external link)
• Gloppen, Siri; Rakner, Lise (2007). Introduction: Coming to grips with the current predicaments of political parties. (external link)

2005

• Svåsand, Lars G; Rakner, Lise (2005). Stuck in Transition: Electoral Processes in Zambia 1991-2001. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2005). Figthing Poverty in Africa: are PRSPs making a difference. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise; Wang, Vibeke (2005). The accountability function of supreme audit institutions in Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania. (external link)
• Svåsand, Lars G; Rakner, Lise (2005). Fissions and fusions, friends and foes: Party system restructuring in Malawi. (external link)
• Rakner, Lise (2005). Stuck in Transition: Electoral Processes in Zambia 1991-2001. (external link)

2003

• Bwalya, Eddie; Rakner, Lise; Svåsand, Lars G (2003). The PRSP process in Zambia. (external link)
• Fjeldstad, Odd-Helge; Rakner, Lise (2003). Taxation and tax reforms in developing countries: Illustrations from sub-Saharan Africa. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Publications

See Publicatiolist in Cristin

Books

Arriola, L., L. Rakner and N. van de Walle  (2023): Democratic Backsliding in Africa? Autocratization, Resilience, and Contention Oxford University Press. Open access at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/democratic-backsliding-in-africa-9780192867322?cc=no&lang=en&

Burnell, Peter, Vicky Randall and Lise Rakner (eds.), 2017. Politics in the Developing World. Oxford University Press, 5^th edition.

Elgesem, D., E. Eide, S. Gloppen, and L. Rakner (red.), 2014. Klima, Medier og Politikk. Oslo: Abstrakt

Kiiza, Julius, Sabiti Makara and Lise Rakner (eds.), 2008. Electoral Democracy in Uganda: Understanding the Institutional Dynamics, Processes and Outcomes of the 2006 Multiparty Elections. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.

Gloppen, Siri and Lise Rakner (eds.), 2007: Globalization and Democratization: Challenges for Political Parties. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.

Rakner, Lise, 2003: Political and Economic Liberalisation in Zambia. Uppsala: The Nordic Africa Institute.

Articles (recent)

Hinfelaar, M.  L. Rakner, S. Sishuwa & N. van de Walle . 2023: «Legal autocratisation ahead of the 2021 Zambian elections, Journal of East African Studies, Vol 16, No 4, pp. 558-575
https://doi.org/10.1080/17531055.2022.22356

Kristen Kao, Ellen Lust, Lise Rakner (2022): Vote-buying, anti-corruption campaigns, and identity in African elections,World Development,Volume 160,2022,106064,ISSN 0305-750X,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106064.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X22002546

Boniface Dulani, Lise Rakner, Lindsay Benstead, Vibeke Wang (2021):  Do women face a different standard? The interplay of gender and corruption in the 2014 presidential elections in Malawi. Women's Studies International Forum, Volume 88, 102501 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2021.102501.

Rakner, Lise, 2021: “Don ́t touch my constitution! The role of pro-democracy movements in
African democratic trajectories”. Global Policy Volume12, IssueS5, July 2021, pp 95-105.

Arriola LR, Choi DD, Davis JM, Phillips ML, Rakner L., 2021: «Paying to party: Candidate resources
and party switching in new democracies». Party Politics. February 2021.
doi:10.1177/1354068821989563

Rakner, Lise and Siri Gloppen, 2020: “LGBT Rights in Africa”. Research Handbook on
Gender, Sexuality and the Law. Edward Elgar Publishing. Open access at: https://www.elgaronline.com/display/edcoll/9781788111140/9781788111140.00022.xml

Rakner, Lise. 2019. “Democratic Rollback in Africa”. In Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.887

Muriaas, Ragnhild L., Vibeke Wang, Lindsay Benstead, Boniface Dulani, and Lise Rakner 2019. “Why the Gender of Traditional Authorities Matters: Intersectionality and Women’s Rights Advocacy in Malawi.” Comparative Political Studies. doi:10.1177/0010414018774369.

Lust, Ellen and Lise Rakner, 2018. “The Other Side of Taxation: Extraction and Social Institutions in the Developing World“, Annual Review of Political Science, 21:1

Ballen, C., Lee, D., Rakner, L., & Cotner, S. 2018. “Politics a “Chilly” Environment for Undergraduate Women in Norway”, PS: Political Science & Politics, 1-6. doi:10.1017/S1049096518000045

Helle, Svein Erik and Lise Rakner, 2017. “The impact of elections. The case of Uganda”, in Gerschewski, Johannes and Christoph Stefes (eds.). Crisis in Autocratic Regimes, Boulder: Lynne Rienner, pp. 111-134.

Rakner, Lise, 2017. “Tax bargains in unlikely places: The politics of Zambian mining taxes”. The Extractive Industries and Society (4), pp. 525-538.

Muriaas, Ragnhild Louise, Lise Rakner, and Ingvild Skage, 2016. “Political capital of ruling parties after regime change: Contrasting successful insurgencies to peaceful pro-democracy movements. Civil Wars, Vol. 18(2) pp. 175-191.

2022-2025 Rights Activism under Political Uncertainty (RightAct) (Research Council of Norway, Scientific Renewal)

2021-2025 Autocratization Dynamics: Innovations in Research-Embedded Learning (PI)

2017- 2021  Research Council of Norway (FRIHUMSAM): Breaking BAD: Explaining Backlash Against Democracy (PI).

2016-2020: Research Council of Norway (GLOBVAC): Political determinants of sexual and reproductive health in Africa (RNC, lead Researcher Zambia country study

2016-2020:  Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedish Research Council): Social Institutions and Governance: Lessons from Sub-Sahara Africa (Gothenburg University, co PI with Ellen Lust