📢Open call for applications.
DEC welcomes expressions of interest for the 2026 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Applicants interested in developing a proposal with us are encouraged to get in touch before 15 May.
More information ⬇️
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/post...
„The USA loses its long-term status as a liberal democracy – for the first time in over 50 years. […] The speed with which American democracy is currently dismantled is unprecedented in modern history“ (V-Dem 2026)
The new V-Dem report was released today. There are dramatic declines in democracy in the US. Much worse than during Trump I.
Second day of the year, first paper submission 🔥
Closing the year presenting ongoing work with @maryhenjimenez.bsky.social about state capacity and support for authoritarian regimes at the #JCPOP2025 organized by the @bcnpolisci.bsky.social.
Special thanks to @pauvallprat.bsky.social for the great comments.
L'aula plena per la presentació de la Barcelona Network of Political Science (BaNPS) per part de Jordi Muñoz @jordimunoz.bsky.social i Marc Guinjoan @mguinjoan.bsky.social
👉🏻 www.banps.cat
Now that the year is coming to an end, I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be officially joining @dec-gr.bsky.social at
@politiquesuab.bsky.social as a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral fellow starting January 2026. I'm looking forward to this new chapter!
Thanks again to our amazing host and organizers @heikekluever.bsky.social @djordjemilosav.bsky.social, and to the rest of the team @sarahobolt.bsky.social @theresakuhn.bsky.social @irenerodriguez.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @lisaherbig.bsky.social @anninahermes.bsky.social
Last week, I presented our latest paper, coauthored with @tonirodon.bsky.social, on the electoral effects of the NextGenerationEU funds on local governments in Spain, at the final workshop of the #COVIDEUProject. It was a great pleasure to work with such a fantastic group of researchers!
Good morning from Berlin.
Starting the final workshop of the COVIDEU project, a wonderful close to an inspiring journey. Grateful to have collaborated with such brilliant colleagues @heikekluever.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @theresakuhn.bsky.social (1/2)
🚨 Interested in public opinion, political psychology, democratic backsliding, conspiracies?🛸
➡️You have until this Thursday to apply for the postdoctoral position in the @tact-forsed.bsky.social.
📍 @uab.cat
🕗 Full-time (37.5h/week), flexible schedule
💶 36.000€
🗓️ 27 months contract
👇
The Spanish centre-right is taking a tumble and the far-right is on the rise.
I was lucky enough to present some new causal work on Friday at LSE showing that the PP does better when it signals distinctiveness from VOX.
~1.5K tests, same result. Rejecting far-right benefits centre-right
CIS
Scholars & pundits have focussed a lot on the electoral demise of center left, but in doing so we paid to little attention to the electoral problems of the center right.
Case-in-points here not only British conservatives or center right in France, but increasingly also the center right in Spain.
Short-term rentals can disrupt urban life & influence the ballot box - @tonirodon.bsky.social, Raya & Llaneza link high Airbnb density in Barcelona to increased support for parties targeting home-sharing regulation: buff.ly/gPwEQxf
@polstudiesassoc.bsky.social @uoypolitics.bsky.social @sagepub.com
A highlight today was having my political behavior students replicate (in part) the “Heroes and Villains” paper by @turnbulldugarte.com and @markuswagner.bsky.social but with Spanish characters/influencers 😅
We are hiring! We are looking for a prospective PhD student to work at the Department of Political Science of the University of Barcelona and the Institutions, Politics and Economics Research Center in connection to a research project on Backlash. More details here: sites.google.com/view/jordi-m...
La pregunta es si las mayorías trabajadoras tienen derecho a vivir en las ciudades que ellas mismas sostienen.
1. We do not know the motive of the shooter. The man who shot at Trump was after attention.
2. The man who murdered MN legislators WAS motivated by politics, and I didn’t hear any Dems calling for reprisals against all Repubs.
3. It’s easy to start a cycle of violence. Not easy to end one.
📢 Call for Papers for EPSS 2026 conference in Belfast is out: epssnet.org/belfast-2026...
Starting today, we'll feature two sections each week to provide more information about the conference.
🔝 This week: Comparative Politics & International Relations
Last day in beautiful Thessaloniki after 3 papers presentations, 2 discussions and one great conference #ecprgc2025
Title: Young men, gendered labour market competition, and opposition to gender equality policy across 27 EU countries Authors: Amy Alexander, Nicholas Charron, and Gefjon Off Abstract: Recent studies have shown an increasing divide in political values between young men and women, particularly regarding gender equality attitudes. In this study it is argued that this is due in particular to a lack of support by young men towards gendered labour market competition: they are less sympathetic towards competition-exacerbating factors. With newly collected original survey data across 27 EU countries, the study investigates two hypothetical gender equality policies: gender quotas in politics and school reforms for less gender-stereotypical teaching. Results show that young men find the quota policy more threatening, as it creates more immediate gender competition, thus making them less supportive of this policy. Additionally, the study employs vignette survey experiments to test whether policy support changes as a function of policy framing. No consistent framing effects are found, however. The article carries implications for understanding the extent and kind of recent value divides between young men and women.
This is also a great new study on gendered labour market competition and (young) men's opposition to gender equality policies. Must-read for anyone interested in the emerging 'gender divide' among young people. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The European Political Science Society is now accepting paper & panel proposals for its annual conference!
📢 Call for Papers: EPSS 2026 – Belfast
🗓️ June 18–20, 2026
📍 ICC Belfast
📬 Deadline: Nov 7, 2025
🧵
One sign of democratic backsliding that sometimes goes unnoticed is the decline in statistical transparency. Autocratic regimes degrade the state's ability and willingness to produce and disseminate reliable public data.
🧪How did COVID-19 affect citizens’ democratic preferences?
➡️ @cescamat.bsky.social A.Arenas A.Falcó & @jordimunoz.bsky.social find a lasting rise in technocratic preferences and a temporary bump in the willingness to sacrifice civil rights and freedoms www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #FirstView
Voice is one of the most talked-about, and least explained, aspects of academic writing.
We’re told to “find it,” but rarely taught how to build it.
I wrote up some reflections here:
👉 open.substack.com/pub/catherin...
A 🧵 about why so much academic writing feels voiceless & what to do about it.
Can banning political ideologies protect democracy? 🛡️🆚🗣️
Our (w. @valentimvicente.bsky.social) paper finds: punishing individuals might backfire. We study a West German policy banning "extreme left" individuals from working for the state.
#Democracy #PoliticalScience
🧵
url: osf.io/usqdb_v2
😒Do elections stir emotions?
➡Using Facebook data from 26 democracies, @dahjinkim.bsky.social T Muraoka, @christopher-lucas.bsky.social @jacobmontgomery.bsky.social & M Tavits find that ideological polarization intensifies emotional reactions www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #FirstView
🚨🚨 New paper alert: Culture vs. Institutions
@ainagallego.bsky.social, Ana Tur-Prats and I have a new paper out in the JOP that examines the impact of historical family types on modern-day female political representation.
❗The segmentation of the right field is eroding, especially among young voters❗
New article out by @simonbornschier.bsky.social @dpzollinger.bsky.social
@mrsteenbergen.bsky.social and myself
@ipz.bsky.social @wepsocial.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/ycxfx2aj
A short 🧵
1/7
New article out in World Politcs. We analyze how different groups react to varying programs of social democratic parties. We find less trade-offs than often assumed. Generally, more left-progressive programs increase support among social democratic potentials
muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
