The Activation of Norms – Revisiting the Link between Citizenship Norms and Participation Kathrin Ackermann (Heidelberg University) Liberal democracies are under pressure around the globe. They are challenged by populist and authoritarian actors and movements who question and erode democratic norms. Against this backdrop, democracies depend particularly on the support and the actual participation of […] Read more

How do voters respond to elite polarization? Mass and party polarization on immigration in Europe Alina Vrânceanu (European University Institute) Much of the existing research on public attitudes toward immigration focuses on the drivers and political consequences of anti-immigrant sentiments. However, we know less about mass polarization on this issue and the extent to which it is […] Read more

Does Austerity Cause Polarization? Evelyne Hübscher (Central European University)Thomas Sattler (University of Geneva)Markus Wagner (University of Vienna) In recent decades, governments in many Western democracies have shown a remarkable consensus in pursuing austerity during periods of strained public finances. In this paper, we show that these decisions have consequences for political polarization. Our macro-level analysis […] Read more

Spatial versus valence models of voting Dieter Stiers (KU Leuven) Spatial and valence models are the workhorses of research on electoral behaviour. Yet, little is known about the factors that influence their relative strength. In this paper, I argue that the number of parties in a political system as well as their ideological dispersion affects […] Read more

The Pro-Immigration Europeans Rahsaan Maxwell (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) One of the central conflicts in Western Europe is whether nation-states should be open or closed to immigration and ethnic diversity.  These issues have been at the center of election campaigns and may structure debates about the future of European societies. However, analysis of […] Read more

Shifting Motivations? Voters Infer Credible Committment from Policy Changes Love Christensen (Postdoctoral researcher, Aarhus University), Pablo Fernández Vázquez (Associate professor, Carlos III University in Madrid) In the course of electoral competition, parties may find themselves compelled to change their policy positions. Even if these changes are motivated by substantive policy concerns, changing policy may be written […] Read more

Au-delà de l’insatisfaction démocratique: comment les citoyens évaluent-ils la légitimité du système politique? David Talukder (Université Libre de Bruxelles – ULB) Durant cette présentation, je vais présenter l’un des chapitres de ma thèse dans laquelle j’examine la manière dont les citoyens évaluent le système politique. Plus particulièrement, j’aborde la question de l’évaluation de la légitimité du […] Read more

Do Unfounded Claims of Election Fraud Influence the Likelihood of Voting? Jean-Nicolas Bordeleau (Université de Montréal) The legitimacy of the electoral process is often put into question by political candidates and elites who seek to account for their loss. As a result, a significant portion of voters are presented with unfounded allegations of widespread election […] Read more

Striking a Political Chord: The Effect of Musical Preferences on Voting Intentions in Canada Catherine Ouellet (University of Toronto)Nadjim Fréchet (Université de Montréal)Yannick Dufresne (Université de Laval) Music is arguably one of the most meaningful and widespread forms of communication. There is also extensive evidence that musical taste is often revealing of values, personality traits, […] Read more

Assemblée citoyenne sur la démocratie électorale municipale André Blais (Université de Montréal) Je vais présenter un projet de recherche que je compte mener en 2023 sur la démocratie électorale municipale. Il s’agira de mener un exercice de délibération citoyenne dans une municipalité québécoise. Une centaine de citoyens seront invités à réfléchir, discuter et faire une […] Read more