This spring, I had the honor of giving the 2026 @ecpr.bsky.social Stein Rokkan Lecture. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5V... Based on joint work with @dpzollinger.bsky.social, @simonbornschier.bsky.social, I argued that the lens of cleavage politics is most useful to study democratic resilience.

House Series: Cleavage Politics and Democratic Resilience

YouTube video by ECPRDigital

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Die Wählerwanderung aus RP wird gerade wieder verwendet um zu argumentieren, die SPD verliere stark an die AfD. Vielleicht nachvollziehbar. Großer Balken da denkt man große Verluste. Ist aber schlicht nicht so. Ich versuche die Schwierigkeit mit Wählerwanderungen mal zu erklären. 1/

Share widely with your students in Switzerland 🇨🇭thinking about a PhD @eui-eu.bsky.social 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝗨𝗜 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 🇨🇭 21 Nov 2025 | 2:30pm CET @alissasiara.bsky.social introduces the program & life at EUI, I share my experience, and we answer your questions. 👉 Register: www.eui.eu/events?id=58...

@dpzollinger.bsky.social and I are thrilled "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies" is out as an SI at @wepsocial.bsky.social! Its papers explore the foundations of the cleavage pitting new left against radical right parties, and how it compares to the classic cleavages of Lipset & Rokkan: 🧵⬇️

Looking back to some excellent panels and fruitful discussions with colleagues and friends at #ecprgc25 in vibrant Thessaloniki!

Ioannis Andreadis@andreadis.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Perceived Group Representation as an Indicator of Cleavage Formation by @simonbornschier.bsky.social in the New Dimensions of Political Cleavages panel organized by @ecprpovb.bsky.social for @ecpr.bsky.social 2025 General Conference.

📄 🚨 New Research on Polarization, Fragmentation, and Democracy in @democratization.bsky.social Nils-Christian Bormann and I explore the impact of ideological polarization and fragmentation on the democratic systems of interwar Europe: lnkd.in/erjJr9qF #polarization #democracy #data #history (1/4)

How do parties shape which issues are perceived as part of GAL-TAN? In my paper presented at the ECPR General Conference in Thessaloniki, I delve into this question, focusing on climate change and LGBTQ rights. Thank you @ecprpovb.bsky.social for a great section! 1/3

Join us for the presentation “Perceived Group Representation as an Indicator of Cleavage Formation”, co-authored with @siljahausermann.bsky.social and @dpzollinger.bsky.social in the fantastic POVB @ecprpovb.bsky.social panel “New Dimensions of Political Cleavages”, #ecprgc25, Wednesday 8.30-10.15!

Even in times of sociocultural conflict, a progressive left electorate is more averse to sociocultural *and* socioeconomic inequalities than (far) right voters. New paper with @siljahausermann.bsky.social Palmtag @tabouchadi.bsky.social @stefwalter.bsky.social Berkinshaw tinyurl.com/d42wyb79 1/n

How much competition within the right field? ❗Segmentation is eroding, especially among young voters❗ New article out by @siljahausermann.bsky.social ‪@dpzollinger.bsky.social @mrsteenbergen.bsky.social and myself @ipz.bsky.social @wepsocial.bsky.social tinyurl.com/ycxfx2aj A short 🧵 1/7

Can government policies moderate political backlash to structural change? Yes, the effect operates through material benefits and social recognition. 🚨New WP by @retobuergisser.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, @thmskrr.bsky.social and @susanadptavares.bsky.social 🚨 shorturl.at/zFbZE

New publication in @wepsocial.bsky.social with @retobuergisser.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, and Michael Pinggera. We map the welfare preferences of voters at the poles of the second, GALTAN dimension of political conflict. 🧵

West European Politics@wepsocial.bsky.social · last yr.

Online first & open access: "The welfare preferences of socially liberal and socially conservative voters" by @matthiasenggist.bsky.social @retobuergisser.bsky.social @siljahausermann.bsky.social & Michael Pinggera doi.org/10.1080/0140... #Polisky #Academicsky

Not sure if the world is paying attention—Switzerland is small (though economically powerful). But while other Western leaders sharply criticized VP JD Vance’s speech at the #MSC / in Munich, the current Swiss president largely approved it, interpreting it as „a plea for direct democracy“ polisky

Philipp Burkhardt@philippburkhardt.bsky.social · last yr.

"Das war eine sehr liberale Rede", sagt Bundespräsidentin Karin Keller-Sutter über die Rede von US-Vizepräsident @jdvanceoffical.bsky.social an der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz: "In einem gewissen Sinne war sie sehr schweizerisch, weil er sagt, man müsse auf die Bevölkerung hören". (1/5)

An excellent analysis by Steven Levitsky & Lucan Way on the prospects for democracy in the US under Trump II, with a lot of comparative insight. A sobering view, yet underlining that polarization may not only be a danger, but paradoxically also a safeguard for liberal democray.

Foreign Affairs@foreignaffairs.com · last yr.

“Worn down by harassment and threats, many of Trump’s critics will be tempted to retreat to the sidelines. Such a retreat would be perilous. When fear, exhaustion, or resignation crowds out citizens’ commitment to democracy, emergent authoritarianism begins to take root.”

🚨 Job Alert! 🚨 I’m looking for a postdoc to join my Emmy Noether project on the New Climate Divide! 🌍 🔍 It is a 3-year position with a likely extension for another 3 years & no teaching obligations 📄 Check out the job call: uni-heidelberg.de/md/politik/p... Thanks for sharing! 🤝

This is also an amazing tool for tracking the social identities parties (try to) tap into! Typical voters are not identified by political profiles but via brands, bands, lifestyles,... Ping @dpzollinger.bsky.social @simonbornschier.bsky.social @siljahausermann.bsky.social @magneflemmen.bsky.social

Fabio Votta📊🐧@favstats.eu · last yr.

Curious about targeting strategies in the 2025 German elections? 🗳️ favstats.github.io/de25/targeti... Updated daily, my dashboard tracks how much € German parties spend on targeted ads. For example 1M on “lookalike” audiences to reach people similar to a pre-defined audience (often supporters). 📊

How do voters navigate fragmenting party landscapes with parties behaving in an ever more strategic matter? In this short CUP book‬, we suggest that group identities mediate the link between social structure and ideological party blocks. 1/8

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR@cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 2y ago

New Cambridge Element 'Cleavage Formation in the 21st Century' by Simon Bornschier, @lhaffert.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, Marco Steenberge & @dpzollinger.bsky.social out now! Read #OpenAccess here: cup.org/3ZLtQ0o #cambridgeelements #politics

Recently, our book on the Transformation of the Left in Europe came out Open access tinyurl.com/ahuxx6d6 A few interviews that summarize key findings: 🔉 Polisci No problem et al. podcast: tinyurl.com/54tvx3md 🔉 Swiss SD party podcast: tinyurl.com/ds4maabc 📖 SamPol Magazine: tinyurl.com/y93nd6cm

Today, feeling close to cosmopolitans or feminists separates voters of the left from right voters who identify with people who are down to earth and hard working. Yet, these identities do have structural roots, just like class identities did. Our short CUP book on cleavage formation is out in OA.

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR@cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 2y ago

New Cambridge Element 'Cleavage Formation in the 21st Century' by Simon Bornschier, @lhaffert.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, Marco Steenberge & @dpzollinger.bsky.social out now! Read #OpenAccess here: cup.org/3ZLtQ0o #cambridgeelements #politics