Hanna Bäck

Professor

Political Science

Main research or teaching areas

1. Comparative politics
2. Political parties and governments
3. Political behavior and political psychology

Current research and teaching

My research focuses mainly on political parties and coalition politics in Western European parliamentary democracies, focusing on topics such as coalition formation, portfolio allocation, cabinet reshuffles, policy-making in multiparty governments, and legislative behavior. I also do research on political behavior/political psychology, focusing mainly on explaining protest activity, radicalization and polarization. Other topics I focus on in my research are state-making, corruption and foreign policy-making.

I teach comparative politics, political psychology and research methods.

Selected publications (articles)

Henning Bergmann, Thomas Saalfeld & Hanna Bäck. (Forthcoming). ”Party-System Polarization, Legislative Institutions and Cabinet Survival in 28 Parliamentary Democracies, 1945–2019”. West European Politics.

Hanna Bäck, Jan Teorell, Alexander von Hagen-Jamar & Alejandro Quiroz Flores. (Forthcoming). “War, Performance and the Survival of Foreign Ministers”. Foreign Policy Analysis.

Hanna Bäck, Emma Renström & David Sivén. (Forthcoming). “The Social Network: How Friends’ Online Behavior and Belongingness Needs Influence Political Activity”. Policy & Internet.

Emma Renström, Julia Aspernäs & Hanna Bäck. (Forthcoming). “The young protester: the impact of belongingness needs on political engagement”. Journal of Youth Studies.

Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck & Holly Knapton. (Forthcoming). “Exploring a pathway to radicalization: The effects of social exclusion and rejection sensitivity”. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.

Ulrich Sieberer, Thomas M. Meyer, Hanna Bäck, Andrea Ceron, Albert Falcó-Gimeno, Isabell Guinaudeau, Martin Ejnar Hansen, Kristoffer Kolltveit, Tom Louwerse, Wolfgang C. Müller, Thomas Persson. (Forthcoming). “The Political Dynamics of Portfolio Design in European Democracies”. British Journal of Political Science.

Daniel Strobl, Hanna Bäck, Wolfgang C. Müller & Mariyana Angelova. (Forthcoming). “Electoral Cycles in Government Policy Making: Strategic Timing of Austerity Reform measures in Western Europe”. British Journal of Political Science.

Johannes Lindvall, Hanna Bäck, Carl Dahlström, Elin Naurin & Jan Teorell. 2020. “Swedish Parliamentary Democracy at 100”. Parliamentary Affairs 73: 477-502.

Hanna Bäck & Marc Debus. 2020. “Personalized versus partisan representation in the speeches of migrant members of parliament in the German Bundestag”. Ethnic and Racial Studies 43: 1673-1691.

Heike Klüver & Hanna Bäck. 2019. “Coalition agreements, issue attention and cabinet governance”. Comparative Political Studies 52: 1995-2031.

Johan Bo Davidsson & Hanna Bäck. 2019. “Selecting Ministers in Times of Crisis. A Historical Analysis of the Role of Intra-Party Politics and Union Background in Swedish Cabinet Appointments 1917–2014”. Political Studies 67: 932-954.

Hanna Bäck, Markus Baumann & Marc Debus. 2019. “Coordination of legislative speech in times of crisis: Youth unemployment and debates on redistributive policies in the Swedish Riksdag, 1994–2014”. International Journal of Social Welfare 28: 404-417.

Markus Baumann, Hanna Bäck & Johan Bo Davidsson. 2019. “Double standards. The role of gender and intra-party politics in Swedish cabinet appointments”. Politics & Gender 15: 882-911.

Markus Baumann, Jochen Müller, Marc Debus & Hanna Bäck. 2019. “The Unequal Distribution of Speaking Time within Parliamentary Party Groups”. Legislative Studies Quarterly 44: 163-193.

Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck, Annika Fredén & Nils Gustafsson. 2019. “A Social Safety Net? Rejection Sensitivity and Political Opinion Sharing among Young People Online”. New Media and Society.

Hanna Bäck & Marc Debus. 2019. “When do Women Speak? A Comparative Analysis of the Role of Gender in Legislative Debates”. Political Studies.

Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck, Niklas Altermark & Holly Knapton. 2019. “The quest for significance: Attitude adaption to a radical group following social exclusion”. International Journal of Developmental Science.

Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck, & Holly Knapton. 2019. “Conforming to collective action: The impact of rejection, personality and norms on participation in protest activity”. Social Psychological Bulletin.

Hanna Bäck, Jan Teorell & Staffan Lindberg. 2019. “Cabinets, Prime Ministers and Corruption. A Comparative Analysis of Parliamentary Governments in Post-war Europe”. Political Studies.

Emma A. Bäck, Hanna Bäck, Marie Gustafsson Sendén & Sverker Sikström. 2018. “From ‘I’ to ‘we’: Group formation and linguistic adaption in an online xenophobic forum”. The Journal of Social and Political Psychology 6: 76-91.

Mariyana Angelova Angelova, Hanna Bäck, Wolfgang C. Müller & Daniel Strobl. 2018. “Veto Player Theory and Reform Making in Western Europe”. European Journal of Political Research 58: 282-307. 

Holly Knapton, Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck, Lisa Espinosa & Henk Erik Meier. 2018. “Belonging for violence: Personality, football fandom and spectator aggression”. Nordic Psychology 1-12.

Emma A. Bäck, Hanna Bäck & David Sivén. 2018. “Why engage in collective action? The conditional effect of social support and efficacy on protest participation”. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 40: 49-59.

Hanna Bäck & Marc Debus. 2018. "Representing the Region on the Floor. Electoral Districts, Economic Characteristics, and Speechmaking in the German Bundestag". Parliamentary Affairs 71: 73-102. 

Hanna Bäck, Wolfgang C. Müller & Benjamin Nyblade. 2017. "Multiparty Government and Economic Policy-Making. Coalition Agreements, Prime Ministerial Power and Spending in Western European Cabinets". Public Choice 170: 33-62.

Hanna Bäck, Marc Debus & Wolfgang C. Müller. 2016. “Intra-party Diversity and Ministerial Selection in Coalition Governments”. Public Choice 166: 355-378.

Hanna Bäck, Marc Debus & Heike Klüver. 2016. "Bicamerialism, Intra-party Bargaining, and the Formation of Party Policy Positions: Evidence From the German Federal System". Party Politics 405-417.

Hanna Bäck, Marc Debus & Jale Tosun. 2015. “Partisanship, Ministers and Biotechnology Policy”. Review of Policy Research 32: 556-575.

Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck & Holly Knapton. 2015. “Group Belongingness and Collective Action: Effects of Need to Belong and Rejection Sensitivity on Willingness to Participate in Protests Activities”. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 56: 537-544.

Holly Knapton, Hanna Bäck & Emma Bäck. 2015. “The Social Activist: Conformity to the Ingroup Following Rejection as a Predictor of Political Participation”. Social Influence 10: 97-108.

Hanna Bäck & Johannes Lindvall. 2015. "Commitment Problems in Coalitions: A New Look at the Fiscal Policies of Multiparty Governments". Political Science Research and Methods 3: 53–72.

Hanna Bäck, Marc Debus & Jochen Müller. 2014. "Who Takes the Parliamentary Floor? The Role of Gender in Speech-making in the Swedish Riksdag". Political Research Quarterly 67: 504–518.

Marc Debus & Hanna Bäck. 2014. "Der Einfluss von Mandatstyp und Wahlkreiseigenschaften auf die inhaltlichen Positionen in Parlamentsreden". Swiss Political Science Review 20: 330–353.

Emma Bäck, Hanna Bäck & Gema Garcia-Albacete. 2013. "Protest Activity, Social Incentives and Rejection Sensitivity: Results from a Survey Experiment about Tuition Fees". Contention: The Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Protest 1: 1-15.

Martin Ejnar Hansen, Robert Klemmensen, Sara Binzer Hobolt & Hanna Bäck. 2013. "Portfolio Saliency and Ministerial Turnover in Scandinavian Post-War Cabinets". Scandinavian Political Studies 36: 227-248.

Hanna Bäck, Marc Debus, Jochen Müller & Henry Bäck. 2013. “Regional Government Formation in Varying Multi-Level Contexts. A Comparison of Eight European Countries”. Regional Studies 47: 368-387.

Hanna Bäck, Henk Erik Meier, Thomas Persson & Jörn Fischer. 2012. "European Integration and Prime Ministerial Power. A Differential Impact on Cabinet Reshuffles in Germany and Sweden". German Politics 21: 184–208.

Hanna Bäck, Jan Teorell & Anders Westholm. 2011. “Explaining Modes of Participation. A Dynamic Test of Alternative Rational Choice Models”. Scandinavian Political Studies 34: 74–97.

Hanna Bäck, Marc Debus & Patrick Dumont. 2011. “Who Gets What in Coalition Governments? Predictors of Portfolio Allocation in Parliamentary Democracies”. European Journal of Political Research 50: 441–478.

Hanna Bäck, Patrick Dumont, Henk Erik Meier, Thomas Persson & Kåre Vernby. 2009. ”Does European Integration Lead to a Presidentialization of Executive Politics? Ministerial Selection in Swedish Post-War Cabinets”. European Union Politics 10: 226–252.

Hanna Bäck, Thomas Persson & Henk Erik Meier. 2009. “Party Size and Portfolio Payoffs. The Proportional Allocation of Ministerial Posts in Coalition Governments”. Journal of Legislative Studies 15: 10–34.

Leif Lewin, Barbro Lewin, Hanna Bäck & Lina Westin. 2008. “A Kinder, Gentler Democracy? The Consensus Model and Swedish Disability Politics”. Scandinavian Political Studies 31: 291–310.

Hanna Bäck & Axel Hadenius. 2008. “Democracy and State Capacity. Exploring a J-shaped Relationship”. Governance 21: 1–24.

Hanna Bäck & Patrick Dumont. 2008. “Making the First Move. A Two-Stage Analysis of the Role of Formateurs in Parliamentary Government Formation”. Public Choice 135: 353–373.

Hanna Bäck. 2008. “Intraparty Politics and Coalition Formation: Evidence from Swedish Local Government”. Party Politics 14: 71–89.

Hanna Bäck & Patrick Dumont. 2007. “Combining Large-n and Small-n Strategies: The Way Forward in Coalition Research”. West European Politics 30: 467–501.

Patrick Dumont & Hanna Bäck. 2006. “Why So Few and Why So Late? Green Parties and the Question of Governmental Participation”. European Journal of Political Research 45: S35–S67.

Hanna Bäck. 2003. “Explaining and Predicting Coalition Outcomes. Conclusions from Studying Data on Local Coalitions”. European Journal of Political Research 42: 441–472.