Kurt Beers began his PhD in Political Economy at King’s College London in September 2026. His research focuses on political communication, media authority, and democratic governance.

Prior to beginning his doctoral research, Kurt worked across politics, law enforcement, and the cultural sector. He worked on Parliament Hill in Canada for former Prime Minister Joe Clark and former Cabinet Minister Scott Brison, and later served as a Constable with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After moving to London, he founded and directed a contemporary art gallery and authored 100 Painters of Tomorrow and 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow (Thames & Hudson).

He holds a BA in Political Science and History from Carleton University and a Master’s degree in Political Communication from City University London.

Research interests

• Political communication
• Democratic governance
• Political legitimacy
• Media authority
• Digital political communication

Doctoral research

Democratic Governance and Political Legitimacy in the Digital Age: Communication, Legitimacy, and the Trump Presidency

Kurt’s doctoral research examines how digital media systems and continuous communication are reshaping democratic governance, political legitimacy and media authority. Using the Trump presidency as its principal empirical case, the project considers how legitimacy, authority, and public trust are negotiated within contemporary digital communication environments.

PhD supervisors

• Dr Martin Moore
• Dr Michael Lazarus