Bendegúz Dörnyei

Bendegúz Dörnyei is a M.P.P. candidate at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs earning a dual-B.A. in Statistics & Data Science and Global Affairs from Yale College. His research examines European integration and democratic backsliding in Hungary, focusing on how governing parties use institutional reform, administrative control, and political communication to consolidate power while preserving the outward form of democratic competition. He is especially interested in what these dynamics imply for the European Union’s rule-of-law framework, the credibility of EU conditionality, and the long-run resilience of democratic institutions across Europe.

Methodologically, Dörnyei combines qualitative political analysis with computational approaches, using large-scale political text and administrative data to trace how parliamentary discourse, policy design, and institutional restructuring evolve over time. His work links shifts in political language and governance arrangements to elections, changing incentive environments, and EU-level pressures, treating Hungary as a central case for understanding democratic decline and the constraints on reform within the European project.

Alongside his academic work, Dörnyei has contributed to policy and data-driven projects in international organizations, including the United Nations and UNICEF, supporting applied research and analytical work at the intersection of governance, public-sector performance, and institutional trust. At Yale, he has worked as a research assistant with the Yale Law School, the Yale School of the Environment, and the Jackson School, and has contributed to research efforts at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies and the Blue Center for Global Strategic Assessment. He is committed to translating rigorous analysis into practical insights for policymakers and practitioners working on democratic accountability, effective public administration, and international cooperation in Europe and its neighborhood.

Department: Jackson School of Global Affairs