Henrik Serup Christensen

@henriksc.bsky.social

Klodsmajor | Senior lecturer in Political science at Åbo Akademi University | https://research.abo.fi/en/persons/henrik-serup-christensen |Political participation | Political trust | Political behaviour |

📢 Job Ad: I am looking for one doctoral researcher (75%) in my newly funded DFG project on misperceptions and factual information on immigration from 1.10. or soon after! 📌 Location: MZES, University of Mannheim 💢 Application Deadline: 21st of July

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Are preferences for authoritarian rule individual predispositions—or can they spread socially? Using field + survey experiments in the Norwegian Armed Forces, we show that openness to strongman rule can spread socially. American Journal of Political Science: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

American Journal of Political Science | MPSA Journal | Wiley Online Library

The increasing popularity of strongman rule in democratic societies underscores the need to explore how authoritarian regime preferences might spread socially. We assess the role of social influence ...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

How much do experts really shape public trust in policy decisions? Ilkka Koiranen & @henriksc.bsky.social argue university researchers can enhance perceived legitimacy, but their impact varies by issue, outcome favorability & perceived importance. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/w30Ilia #polsky #polsci

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This article is the first of hopefully many more, where we examine the role of different types of expertise for legitimising democratic and undemocratic decisions.

Political Studies@polstudies.bsky.social · 2mo ago

How much do experts really shape public trust in policy decisions? Ilkka Koiranen & @henriksc.bsky.social argue university researchers can enhance perceived legitimacy, but their impact varies by issue, outcome favorability & perceived importance. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/w30Ilia #polsky #polsci

Abstract
Science and expertise are frequently invoked to legitimize policy decisions. However, while prior research suggests broad support for expert-led governance, it often overlooks how citizens differentiate between types of experts and how political beliefs shape these perceptions. This study examines how institutional affiliations of experts—universities, government, and think tanks—influence citizens’ perceptions of legitimacy in political decision-making. Drawing on two pre-registered factorial survey experiments embedded in a survey from Finland (N = 2546), we investigate (1) differences in how actors affect decision-making legitimacy, and (2) how these effects differ depending on the type of issue, outcome favourability and issue salience. Our results show that proposals involving university researchers frequently gain legitimacy, but the exact effects hinge on the type of issue, outcome favourability, and salience. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how citizens perceive the role of expertise in democratic governance.

🚨New publication (with Shane Singh) in @poqjournal.bsky.social! Proponents of compulsory voting often claim that obligatory turnout will increase citizens' political involvement, equalising levels of democratic attitudes and political engagement in the electorate. But does it? 👇

Does Compulsory Voting Improve Democratic Attitudes and Engagement? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Belgium

Abstract. For over a century, scholars, policymakers, and advocates have argued that compulsory voting not only boosts turnout but also promotes prodemocra

academic.oup.com

Does affective polarization itself actually threaten democracy? Recent experiments from the US suggest maybe not. In our new @ejprjournal.bsky.social paper, we revisit this question comparatively with a survey experiment in 9 democracies (18,000 respondents). #polisky

The (alleged) consequences of affective polarization: A survey experiment in nine democracies | European Journal of Political Research | Cambridge Core

The (alleged) consequences of affective polarization: A survey experiment in nine democracies

cambridge.org

6 years ago, I started asking a question that political science had largely ignored: how & why do women get involved in PRR parties as grassroots members? Today, my 1st book proposes an answer. Grassroots Women in the Populist Radical Right is now out online with OUP: academic.oup.com/book/62754

Grassroots Women in the Populist Radical Right

Abstract. This book investigates women’s involvement as members of populist radical right (PRR) parties. The latter have long been characterised as ‘men’s

academic.oup.com

🚨 Stellenausschreibung 🚨 Promotionsstelle zu Parteien in ländlich-peripheren Räumen (4 Jahre, 75 %) Das Projekt verbindet qualitative Interviews, die Analyse lokaler Parteistrukturen und Inhaltsanalysen von Wahlprogrammen. 🗓️ Bewerbungsschluss: 31.05.2026 www.uni-greifswald.de/universitaet...

Wissenschaftliche*r Mitarbeiter*in - Allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre und Gesundheitsmanagement 26/Op09

Stellenausschreibung Allgemeine Betriebswirtschaftslehre

uni-greifswald.de

Very happy that my article "Electoral autocracies, hybrid regimes, and multiparty autocracies: same, same but different?" won the Frank Cass Prize for the best young scholar article in @democratization.bsky.social in 2025! Read it here or check the thread below: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Jonas W. Schmid@jonaswschmid.bsky.social · last yr.

Ever felt uneasy about how concepts & measures of "grey zone" autocracies are used interchangeably across the literature? Then check out my 🚨new paper🚨 in @democratization.bsky.social and get some substance to back up your gut feeling: tinyurl.com/ypdm2kna Or at least read the main points below ⬇️

📢 Our article on institutional trust development during adolescence is now also featured in ECPR's The Loop! Check it out if you want to know the main findings and their implications for democratic accountability. With @cvalebeek.bsky.social

The Loop@ecprtheloop.bsky.social · 4mo ago

📈 We often assume citizens only grant institutions their trust when they perform well. 📘 However, based on @ejprjournal.bsky.social research, @lindestals.bsky.social & @cvalebeek.bsky.social reveal that much of this institutional trust is learned, rather than earned. 👉️ bit.ly/47njlnw