I'm thrilled to be taking over as Director of the Constitution Unit next month. Amid many challenges to democracy, our work remains vital.

But, gosh, it's daunting to try to fill Meg Russell's shoes! She has been a terrific Director for over a decade, and will be an incredibly hard act to follow.

Polisky, if I’m not mistaken, someone once shared an overview of null findings on what does not drive far-right / radical right voting.

If such a collection exists, or if you’re willing to share other important null results, I would greatly appreciate it!

Join us in Hannover, Oct 1-2, for the annual meeting of the @dvpw.bsky.social Analytical Political Theory Group!

Call for papers: www.dvpw.de/fileadmin/us...

#study #nature
Large-Scale Study Finds Conclusions Often Diverge When Hundreds of Researchers Reanalyze the Same Data
doi.org/10.1038/s415...

In this large-scale int. collaboration, nearly 500 independent analysts examined the same datasets and frequently arrived at different conclusions.

A red, cartoonish character with large eyes sits at a corporate boardroom table, surrounded by serious professionals in suits, illustrating the meme: "When you accidentally become important at work."

professional news

Job Vacancies - Universität Bremen Offene Stellen

I am looking for a postdoc to join my team at the University of Bremen. 5-year-contract, top-up to 100% possible for most of the contract period.

Apply by 04 May 2026.

If you have questions about the position, send me an email!

www.uni-bremen.de/en/universit...

Happy that our article is now available online at JEPOP!

Using German data, @salvabarbaro.bsky.social, Maike Roth and me illustrate how voter preferences are translated into electoral outcomes, challenging common narratives about declining support for social democrats and rising right-wing support.

Looking for a job and you have a passion for methods? Have a look here!

Job vacancy announcement for a postdoctoral position at the University of Vienna Department of Government, starting August/September 2026. Research focus includes political representation, party competition, political institutions, political economy, political behavior, or related fields. Application deadline: 29 April 2026. Full details are also available through the shared link.

🚨 Job Alert 🚨

We have an opening for a 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗰 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 @stawi-univie.bsky.social starting Aug/Sep 2026!

Focus: political representation, party competition, political institutions, political economy, political behavior, or related fields

📅Apply by 29 April 2026

jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...

Beyond Proximity: Representational Isolation and Emotional Response in Climate Politics This paper examines how perceived political (mis)representation in climate policy is associated with citizens’ emotional responses. Using original survey data from Germany (N = 879), we analyse how...

Happy to share that my first PhD paper “Beyond Proximity: Representational Isolation and Emotional Response in Climate Politics”, co-authored with
@wurthmann.bsky.social and @lukashetzer.eurosky.social is published in @repjournal.bsky.social. 🎉
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0034...

Screenshots of the conference program

We are already looking forward to the 2026 "AK Wahlen" @dvpw.bsky.social conference at JGU Mainz on 7–8 May and to welcoming many of you there for an exciting program.

The conference is open to non-presenters.

Registration deadline: 24 April 2026.

More information: www.dvpw.de/gliederung/a...

Albert O Hirschman sitting at a desk in a white or light blue OCBD, a knit or garza grosso grenadine tie, and a gorgeous flannel (?) chore coat (?)

A minute for this fit from Albert O. Hirschman please

I still can’t quite believe it – yesterday I was awarded the 2026 Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize by the DFG! ✨✨✨

I am immensely grateful for the support of all the colleagues and mentors who have accompanied and supported me on my academic journey so far! 🙏

Kluge in front of a police officer

cover of the German edition of Negt and Kluge: Öffentlichkeit und Erfahrung

With Alexander Kluge the other great theorist of the public sphere died, shortly after Habermas.
Today we live the effects of the pacification of conflicts through “facades of legitimation” & “pseudo-publics” & the resulting blockages of social hopes, experiences & needs he diagnosed.
1/2

Excellent news from the DFG! Julia Schulte-Cloos has been awarded the DFG's most important award for early carreer researchers - congratulations! 🎉

Congratulations and welcome to @powimz.bsky.social, Constantin 🎉Greatly looking forward to working with you!

„Schweitzers Bonus hat nicht gereicht, um gegen den SPD-Bundestrend anzukommen“ Die SPD verlor die Landtagswahl in Rheinland-Pfalz deutlicher als erwartet. Wahlforscher Steiner erklärt, warum der Bundestrend entscheidend war.

Mit der @fr-zeitung.bsky.social habe ich über das Ergebnis der Landtagswahl in Rheinland-Pfalz gesprochen: www.fr.de/politik/trot...

We are hiring! The Department of Inequality, Transformation and Conflict under @steffenmau.bsky.social is looking for Postdoctoral & Doctoral Researchers (m/f/d). Find out more & apply via www.ips.mpg.de #MaxPlanck #Postdoc #PhD #Sociology #SocialScience #PoliticalScience #Inequality #Conflict

Niesen, Habermas im Juni 2019. Credit Paul Kindermann/Normative Orders

Here's today's German language obituary for Jürgen Habermas for Kölner Stadtanzeiger. www.wiso.uni-hamburg.de/fachbereich-...

📚 End-of-week highlight: the Festschrift for @thomas-saalfeld.bsky.social, my PhD supervisor, arrived.
Delighted to have contributed to this wonderful volume. It brings back many happy Bamberg memories. Huge thanks to @jmfernandes86.bsky.social and @javiermcanto.bsky.social, and congrats to Thomas 🎉

🚨New paper alert🚨
Celebrate the fabulous Tisa Bertlich and her paper “Just a means to an end? Individuals support direct democracy instrumentally, irrespective of conspiracy mentality” with @zakfio.bsky.social and me just published in @jexpsocpsych.bsky.social: authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

I'm hiring a postdoc! @goetheuni.bsky.social

Focus: CSS, political behavior, political communication & transforming information environments.

📍 Frankfurt | ⏳ 3 years | 📅 Deadline: 14 April 2026

Full job ad here: www.uni-frankfurt.de/48794987/Zen... (search for “political behavior” to find it)

Screenshot of the following article published in Constellations: Gaus, D., Landwehr, C., & Schmalz‐Bruns, R. (2020). Defending democracy against technocracy and populism: Deliberative democracy's strengths and challenges. Constellations, 27(3), 335-347.

We also sent this article to Habermas himself, and he responded in a kind, but non-committal manner. So I guess he was not convinced. (4/4)

Picture of Rainer Schmalz-Bruns (taken in 2017)

I later teamed up with Rainer Schmalz-Bruns (1954 – 2000) and Daniel Gaus, indisputably Habermasian scholars, to write an article clarifying some misconceptions about deliberative democracy. It was published after Rainer’s death, which was a huge loss for the German political theory community.(3/4)

Analytical political theory always seemed more accessible and, well, more analytical to me. I tried to combine Habermasian deliberative democracy with what was then known as rational choice theory. Some of my German political theory colleagues thought that this endeavor was deeply misguided. (2/4)

Book cover: Jürgen Habermas - Faktizität und Geltung

Saddened by the passing of Jürgen Habermas this past weekend, I have reflected on his role in my own intellectual biography. I first bought a copy of “Faktizität und Geltung” in 2000 and was immediately intrigued by it, though I struggled with the dense style of writing. (1/4)

Thank you @rikkidean.bsky.social @crowdermeyer.bsky.social @pcmagalhaes.bsky.social @danbischof.bsky.social @saengler.bsky.social @peterenns.bsky.social @kstrump.bsky.social @christopherojeda.bsky.social @nilssteiner.bsky.social @arminschaefer.bsky.social @elinesevers.bsky.social and Hannah Werner!!

Last week, we (@clandwehr.bsky.social, my colleague Leonard and I) had the joy of welcoming some great colleagues working on the topic of democracy to Mainz, for the concluding workshop of our project "Conceptions of Democracy among Citizens and Political Elites". Thank you for three wonderful days!

Am kommenden Sonntag wird hier in Rheinland-Pfalz gewählt. Nach den Umfragen ist mit einem Kopf-an-Kopf zwischen SPD und CDU zu rechnen - so auch die Prognose von @zweitstimme.bsky.social. Wer vorne liegt, wird voraussichtlich den Ministerpräsidenten in einer künftigen Großen Koalition stellen. 1/X

Rainer Forst über Habermas – „Die Diskursethik bleibt ein Meilenstein“ Philosoph Rainer Forst über die Theorie und die Wirkung von Jürgen Habermas.

Anlässlich des Todes von Jürgen #Habermas hat Rainer Forst in der @fr-zeitung.bsky.social ein Interview gegeben:

Rainer Forst über Habermas – „Die Diskursethik bleibt ein Meilenstein“: www.fr.de/kultur/gesel...