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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 2024, illustration.

3 September 2024 12:00 to 13:00 | Location: Large Conference Room, Eden (Ed 367)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Zeth Isaksson (Stockholm University) Beyond Borders: Local Elites, Rural Conflicts, and Diverging Political Behavior in Transferred Regions


17 September 2024 12:00 to 13:00 |  Location: Large Conference Room, Eden (Ed 367)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Ruth Dassonneville (Université de Montréal) Voters Under Pressure: Group-Based Cross-Pressure and Electoral Volatility


8 October 2024 12:00 to 13:00 | Location: Large Conference Room, Eden (Ed 367)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte (University of Southampton) On Sex and Stigma: Bedding the Far- Right? (co-sponsored by the Gender and Politics Research Group)


5 November 2024 12:00 to 13:00 | Location: Large Conference Room, Eden (Ed 367)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Erik Bengtsson (Lund University) The Social Origins of Democracy and Authoritarianism Reconsidered: Prussia and Sweden in Comparison


19 November 2024 12:00 to 13:00 | Location: Large Conference Room, Eden (Ed 367)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Adea Gafuri (Swedish Institute of International Affairs) Does it Matter to Politicians Where Foreign Aid Comes From? An Experimental Test with Elites (co-sponsored by Politics & Development Studies)


3 December 2024 12:00 to 13:00 | Location: Large Conference Room, Eden (Ed 367)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Orly Siow (Lund University) Muted Voices: An Intersectional Analysis of the Representation of Black Men and Masculinities in the House of Commons 1979-2019 (co-sponsored by the Gender and Politics Research Group)

16 January

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Niklas Altermark - The Swedish Version of Austerity: Institutions and Actors in Swedish Welfare Politics | Svetnet


30 January (Politics and Development Studies co-sponsored.)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Firman Noor, Indonesian Institute of Sciences - The Transformation of Partai Keadilan Sejahtera: Towards Strengthening Substantive Islamic Political Views and National Orientation | Svetnet


13 February

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Liv Bjerre, Aarhus University - The impact of immigration policy on asylum | Svetnet


27 February (SASNET organized, co-sponsored by CP)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Alexander Lee, Rochester University Statebuilding in modern South Asia | Svetnet


12 March

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Suthan Krishnarajan, Aarhus University - Committing to Democracy: How to make citizens reject undemocratic candidates | Svetnet


19 March

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Jesse Acevedo, University of Denver - Why Emigration is Costly for Incumbents: The Case of El Salvador | Svetnet


9 April

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminar: Esther Calvo, Lund University - Emotional Swings? Understanding the effect of electoral cycles on affective polarization | Svetnet


7 May

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Maria Nordbrandt Bergström, Uppsala University - Overcoming the ”us” versus ”them”? The effect of national identity primes on affective polarization | Svetnet


28 May

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Tine Paulsen, University of Southern California - Tending the Grassroots: How Local Institutions Impact National Elections | Svetnet


14 June (Note: Friday)

Comparative Politics Lunch Seminars: Nils Weidmann, University of Konstanz - International Scientific Collaboration and Political Protest | Svetnet

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 2024

Voter Responses to Social Democratic Ideological Moderation after the Third WayPolk, J. & Karreth, J., 2024, Beyond Soci...
Government ideology and labour policy reform in good times and badE. Bergman, M., Müller, W. C. & Bäck, H., 2024, (E-pub...
Intergenerational altruism and climate policy preferencesAgneman, G., Henriks, S., Bäck, H. & Renström, E., 2024, In: PN...
Insurance Voting in the Centre: An Experimental ApproachFredén, A., Bruinsma, B., Theorin, N. & Oscarsson, H., 2024 Aug ...
The Nature of Peace and the Continuum of Violence in Environmental ConflictsMagalhaes Teixeira, B., 2024 Aug, Lund: AllM...
Genetic and environmental influences on the stability of political attitudesRasmussen , S. H., Weinschenk, A., Ksiazkiew...
Transforming environmental peacebuilding: addressing extractivism in building climate resilient peaceMagalhaes Teixeira,...
O Sul Global como um conceito de local geopolítico: uma crítica feminista decolonial sobre cartografias de paz e violênc...
The Global South as a theoretical and methodological marker for scientific inquiry: researching and teaching decolonial ...
PRAXIS: Critical reflections on violence, justice and peace vol 2Magalhaes Teixeira, B., Swartz Nordlöv, E. (Editor), Le...
”Stödet för palestinier är inte avhängigt deras inställning till hbtq-rättigheter”Abdelmoez, J. W., Deya Davidson, O., E...
Debating the Populist Pariah: Changing Party Dynamics and Elite Rhetoric in the Swedish RiksdagCalvo, E., Bäck, H. & Car...
Statsministeromröstning och regeringsbildningBäck, H. & Teorell, J., 2024, En författning i tiden. Regeringsformen under...
Transnational feminist activism in the contemporary Middle East: Practices of community, relationality, and history.Abde...
The Russian threat and the consolidation of the West: How populism and EU-skepticism shape party support for UkraineHoog...
Women favour climate actions that benefit future generations more than men – new studyBäck, H. & Renström, E., 2024 Mar ...
The Selection and Tenure of Foreign Ministers Around the WorldBäck, H., Quiroz Flores, A. & Teorell, J., 2024, Cambridge...
Hur rösten räknas: Om valsystemet Fredén, A., 2024 Mar 4, En författning i tiden: Regeringsformen under 50 år. Möller, T...
On the nexus between material and ideological determinants of climate policy supportAgneman, G., Henriks, S., Bäck, H. &...
Room to Grow and the Right to Say No: Theorizing the Liberatory Power of Peace in the Global SouthMagalhaes Teixeira, B....
Coalition dynamics: advances in the study of the coalition life cycleMüller, W. C., Bäck, H. & Hellström, J., 2024, In: ...
Degrowth beyond the metropole: theory and praxis for a revolutionary degrowthMagalhaes Teixeira, B. & Koşanay, B., 2024,...
Pre-electoral coalitions, familiarity, and delays in government formationBäck, H., Hellström, J., Lindvall, J. & Teorell...
The 'Arab Spring' as a Milestone in Feminist PerformanceAbdelmoez, J. W., 2024, (Accepted/In press) Milestones in Femini...
Gender, Political Resources, and Expressions of Democratic EvaluationsHansen, M. A. & Goenaga, A., 2024, In: Journal of ...
Trade and the transnational cleavage in European party politicsPolk, J. & Rosén, G., 2024, In: Journal of European Publi...
Structuring Intra-Party Politics: A Mixed-Method Study of Ideological and Hierarchical Factions in PartiesKölln, A.-K. &...
Lexical Ambiguity in Political Rhetoric: Why Morality Doesn't Fit in a Bag of WordsKraft, P. W. & Klemmensen, R., 2024, ...
Making space: citizens, parties and interest groups in two ideological dimensionsBoräng, F., Naurin, D. & Polk, J., 2024...
Coalition agreements and governments’ policy-making productivityE. Bergman, M., Angelova, M., Bäck, H. & Müller, W. C., ...

Publications 2023

Coalition bargaining time and governments’ policy-making productivityBäck, H., Bergman, M. & Müller, W. C., 2023, (E-pub...
Book review: "Authoritarian Police in Democracy: Contested Security in Latin America. by Yanilda María González. Cambrid...
Who polarizes parliament? Partisan hostility in Norwegian legislative debatesRøed, M., Bäck, H. & Carroll, R., 2023, (E-...
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, In: ...
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, In: Political Psychology. 44, 6...
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...
¿Vive América Latina un segundo ciclo de política de izquierda?Translated title of the contribution: Is Latin America Ex...
Using deep learning to predict ideology from facial photographs: expressions, beauty, and extra-facial informationRasmus...
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...
Collegiality and efficiency in bureaucracyBergman, M. & Fredén, A., 2023, In: Public Policy and Administration. 38, 4, p...
What Kind of Electoral Outcome do People Think is Good for Democracy?Blais, A., Bol, D., Bowler, S., Farrell, D. M., Fre...
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...
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. H., 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...
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,...
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...