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Comparative Politics Research Group

The Comparative Politics Research Group covers all major research areas in the field, including institutions, democracy and political development, parties and voting behavior, political economy, political psychology, public opinion, and public policy.

We specialize in the politics of OECD countries, but many of us also do research on Eastern Europe, Latin America, and other regions. In recent years, we have developed strong research environments on the study of parties and party systems, polarization and radicalization, and historical political economy.

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars Autumn 2023, illustration.

August 29, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘Partisanship and Public Reactions to Citizens' Climate Assemblies: A Survey Experiment’ – Anthony Kevins, Loughborough University | Svetnet (lu.se)

September 12, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘Financial Incentives: Intended and Unintended Consequences’ – Erik Wengström, Dept. of Economics, Lund University | Svetnet

September 26, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘A Social Media Field Experiment concerning Toxicity, Gender, and Partisanship’ – Gregory Eady, University of Copenhagen | Svetnet (lu.se)

October 3, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: Mona Lena Krook, Rutgers University – ‘Signs of Violence: Semiotic Violence and the U.S. Capitol Insurrection’ (co-sponsored with the Dept. of Gender Studies) | Svetnet (lu.se)

October 10, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘The Dynamic of Emotions in Protest’ – Elena Leuschner, University of Gothenburg | Svetnet (lu.se)

October 24, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘Better Now Than Later: Exposure To Relative Wealth Causes Demand For Immediate Redistribution’ – Laura Lungu, University of Gothenburg | Svetnet

November 7, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘Swedish Riksdag 1867–2022: An Ecosystem of Linked Open Data’ – Fredrik Nóren, Malmö University | Svetnet (lu.se)

November 14, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group (co-sponsored with the Gender and Politics Research Group): ‘Rigging Representation: Procedural Autocratic Genderwashing’ – Elin Bjarnegård, Uppsala University | Svetnet (lu.se)

November 21, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group (co-sponsored with the Environmental Politics Research Group): ‘Obstacles to Environmental Activism in Emerging Democracies’ – Marina Povitkina, University of Oslo | Svetnet (lu.se)

December 5, 2023:

Comparative Politics Research Group: ‘How Political Elites Influence Mass Affective Polarization’ – Alexander Ryan, Lund University | Svetnet

Comparative Politics Research Group: “Who Polarizes Parliament? Partisan Hostility in Norwegian Legislative Debates” – Maiken Røed

27 September 2022 12:00 to 13:00 | Research group meeting


Comparative Politics Research Group – Gefjon Off (University of Gothenburg)

11 October 2022 12:00 to 13:00 | Research group meeting


Comparative Politics Research Group – Johan Hellström (Umeå University)

25 October 2022 12:00 to 13:00 | Research group meeting


Cancelled: Comparative Politics Research Group – Moira Nelson

8 November 2022 12:00 to 13:00 | Research group meeting


Comparative Politics Research Group – Andrej Kokkonen (University of Gothenburg)

22 November 2022 12:00 to 13:00 | Research group meeting

Publications 2023

Re-Imagining Peace Education: Using Critical Pedagogy as a Transformative ToolNicoson, C., Magalhaes Teixeira, B. & Mårt...
Details Matter: Secluded Areas and Voting Secrecy with French BallotsEsaiasson, P., Fredén, A. & Teorell, J., 2023 Sept ...
Coalition Agreements as Control Devices: Coalition Governance in Western and Eastern EuropeKlüver, H., Bäck, H. & Krauss...
Threat, Voting and Candidate Support. The Impact of Mortality SalienceBäck, H., Carroll, R., Knapton, H. & Renström, E.,...
Threats, Emotions, and Affective PolarizationRenström, E., Bäck, H. & Carroll, R., 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Poli...
Pre-electoral coalitions, familiarity, and delays in government formationBäck, H., Hellström, J., Lindvall, J. & Teorell...
Elite communication and affective polarization among votersBäck, H., Carroll, R., Renström, E. & Ryan, A., 2023, In: Ele...
Serious Conflicts with Benign Outcomes? The Electoral Consequences of Conflictual Cabinet TerminationsSo, F., 2023 Oct 1...
The 'Arab Spring' as a Milestone in Feminist PerformanceAbdelmoez, J. W., 2023, (Accepted/In press) Milestones in Femini...
Gender, Political Resources, and Expressions of Democratic EvaluationsHansen, M. A. & Goenaga, A., 2023, (Accepted/In pr...
Trade and the transnational cleavage in European party politicsPolk, J. & Rosén, G., 2023 Aug 14, (E-pub ahead of print)...
Structuring Intra-Party Politics: A Mixed-Method Study of Ideological and Hierarchical Factions in PartiesKölln, A-K. & ...
¿Vive América Latina un segundo ciclo de política de izquierda?Translated title of the contribution: Is Latin America Ex...
Lexical Ambiguity in Political Rhetoric: Why Morality Doesn't Fit in a Bag of WordsKraft, P. W. & Klemmensen, R., 2023, ...
Using deep learning to predict ideology from facial photographs: expressions, beauty, and extra-facial informationRasmus...
Making space: citizens, parties and interest groups in two ideological dimensionsBoräng, F., Naurin, D. & Polk, J., 2023...
The state does not live by warfare alone: War and revenue in the long nineteenth centuryGoenaga, A., Sabaté, O. & Teorel...
Parental transmission and the importance of the (non-causal) effects of education on political engagement: Missing the f...
Exploring the foundational origins of public service motivation through the lens of behavioral geneticsFlorczak, C., Ras...
Genes, Personality, and Political Behavior: A Replication and Extension Using Danish TwinsWeinschenk, A., Dawes, C., Kle...
Authoritarianism and Immigration Attitudes in the UKPeresman, A., Carroll, R. & Bäck, H., 2023, In: Political Studies. 7...

Publications 2022

Minority governments in Sweden: Majority cabinets in disguiseBäck, H. & Hellström, J., 2022 Dec, Minority Governments in...
Coalition agreements and governments’ policy-making productivityE. Bergman, M., Angelova, M., Bäck, H. & Müller, W. C., ...
Populist radical parties, pariahs, and coalition bargaining delaysBäck, H., Debus, M. & Imre, M., 2022, (E-pub ahead of ...
Outgroup exclusion, identity, and collective action in the Brexit contextKnapton, H., Renström, E. A. & Bäck, H., 2022 S...
The Five Factor Model of Personality and Heritability: Evidence from DenmarkWeinschenk, A., Rasmussen, S. HR., Christens...
Good Tidings for Saudi Women? Techno-Orientalism, Gender, and Saudi Politics in Global Media DiscourseAbdelmoez, J. W., ...
Protecting the Ingroup? Authoritarianism, Immigration Attitudes, and Affective PolarizationRenström, E. A., Bäck, H. & C...
Sons of the Soil or Servants of the Empire? Profiling the Guardians of Separatism in Abkhazia and South OssetiaBerglund,...
Sympathizing With the Radical Right: Effects of Mainstream Party Recognition and Control of PrejudiceEkholm, K., Bäck, H...
Guy-Guessing Democracy: Gender and Item Non-Response Bias in Evaluations of Democratic InstitutionsGoenaga, A. & Hansen,...
Collegiality and efficiency in bureaucracyBergman, M. & Fredén, A., 2022 May 21, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Public Polic...
Contesting Covid: The ideological bases of partisan responses to the Covid-19 pandemicRovny, J., Bakker, R., Hooghe, L.,...
Legalize cannabis? Effects of party cues on attitudes to a controversial policy proposalBäck, H., Fredén, A. & Renström,...
Betting on the underdog: The influence of social networks on vote choiceFredén, A., Rheault, L. & Indridason, I. H., 202...
Congruence and Party Responsiveness in Western Europe in the 21st CenturyIbenskas, R. & Polk, J., 2022, In: West Europea...
Party Responsiveness to Public Opinion in Young DemocraciesIbenskas, R. & Polk, J., 2022, In: Political Studies. 70, 4, ...
Analyzing the Cross-National Comparability of Party Positions on the Socio-Cultural and EU dimensions in EuropeBakker, R...
Ministerial Autonomy, Parliamentary Scrutiny and Government Reform Output in Parliamentary DemocraciesBäck, H., Müller, ...
Who cares about the public sphere?Goenaga, A., 2022 Jan 11, In: European Journal of Political Research. 61, 1, p. 230-25...
Party-system polarisation, legislative institutions and cabinet survival in 28 parliamentary democracies, 1945–2019Bergm...