🚨We are hiring a two-year postdoctoral researcher (80%) at the University of Zurich within the new Horizon Europe project WELFAIR on the political implications of technological change, demographic ageing and rising inequality. The full job ad is here: tinyurl.com/3b6ddm25 Apply by August 9, 2026.

Last week I defended my PhD 🎉 My thesis, "Unequal Shifts in Regional Job Structures and Political Attitudes in Europe", takes the popular "geography of discontent" narrative and tests several of the assumptions it quietly rests on.

Wie viel bestimmt die Herkunft über den späteren Erfolg? Der Chancenmonitor Zürich von Thomas Kurer @thmskrr.bsky.social und Tabea Palmtag zeigt erstmals, wie sich soziale Mobilität zwischen Gemeinden und Quartieren unterscheidet und wo Aufstieg durch Arbeit tatsächlich gelingt. 👉 chancenmonitor.ch

Very happy that our review article (with the @annualreviews.bsky.social) on „Austerity and Populism“ is now available as preprint: www.annualreviews.org/content/jour... - with @sattlersthomas.bsky.social

Austerity and Populism

A large literature explains the rise of populist parties with the economic insecurities stemming from globalization and technological change. But despite the long-standing focus of the comparative and...

annualreviews.org

From October 2025 - Seeking Opportunity in the Knowledge Economy: Moving Places, Moving Politics? - cup.org/3LgxVos - @valentinaconsiglio.bsky.social & @thmskrr.bsky.social #OpenAccess

1/ Does growing up poor always lead to political apathy? Very happy to share my first paper published (open access) in @electoralstudies.bsky.social, where I show that parents' influence mitigates the poverty gap in participation, while economic mobility does not. 🔗 shorturl.at/p5Bac

New article out in @cpsjournal.bsky.social with Tabea Palmtag and @dpzollinger.bsky.social 📝 We use open-ended survey questions (in Germany) to assess how and among whom social status shifts are perceived. This tests cultural backlash narratives in voters' perceptions. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/0010...

Two inspiring days at the Nuffield Politics of AI workshop! This was social science at its best, thanks to all involved! @benansell.bsky.social @jburnmurdoch.ft.com @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social

In a new paper, we show that "opportunity moves" foster political integration and shift political preferences to the left. Please have a look at @valentinaconsiglio.bsky.social's excellent summary for some more details. 👉 tinyurl.com/46utjj65

Valentina Consiglio@valentinaconsiglio.bsky.social · 9mo ago

💡 How does moving to opportunity reshape political behavior? 🗞️ In our new BJPolS paper, @thmskrr.bsky.social and I show that residential relocations that increase access to opportunity foster political integration and shift political preferences to the left. 👉 tinyurl.com/46utjj65

How are contemporary cleavage structures stabilized in times of declining mass social and political organizations? In this new paper with @davidattewell6.bsky.social @bjpols.bsky.social, we suggest that homogeneous social (educational) networks provide part of the answer. tinyurl.com/49cs8jwp

NEW - Seeking Opportunity in the Knowledge Economy: Moving Places, Moving Politics? - https://cup.org/3LgxVos "moving to opportunity results in... more left-leaning self-identification, and lower support for far-right parties" - @valentinaconsiglio.bsky.social & @thmskrr.bsky.social #OpenAccess

New SI "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies" @wepsocial.bsky.social! If you're interested in transforming social & political divides in advanced democracies, this is for you. The intro by @davidattewell6.bsky.social & me maps contributions around 3 challenges for contemp. cleavage research.

David Attewell@davidattewell6.bsky.social · 10mo ago

@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: 🧵⬇️

I wrote a longer essay on how social status matters for far-right support. Many still wrongly associate the far right with the economically left behind. Taking social status seriously also cautions against the idea that deliverism will win back far-right voters. equitablegrowth.org/threats-to-s...

Threats to social status and support for far-right political parties

How economic threats to social status in the form of unemployment risk and rental market risk affects support for the far right in Europe.

equitablegrowth.org

Radical right accommodation really does not work. New paper out with this exceptionally talented team @katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk doi.org/10.31235/osf...

Delighted to share that I have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for my project “Lost in the Green Transition: Local Collective Greenloss Identity, Anti-Climate Attitudes and Radical Right Support.” #ERCStG More soon on #GREENLOSS. A huge thank you to friends and colleagues who made this possible!

Do men see gender parity in representation as detrimental to their interests? What about when women’s representation exceeds parity? And how do such shifts affect men’s fairness perceptions? I address these questions in my article, now published in PRQ. 1/9 
doi.org/10.1177/1065...

You can already submit your paper and panel proposal for EPSS next year. Looking forward to seeing many people in Belfast. I will be there.

EPSS@epssnet.bsky.social · last yr.

The European Political Science Society is now accepting paper & panel proposals for its annual conference! 📢 Call for Papers: EPSS 2026 – Belfast
 🗓️ June 18–20, 2026
 📍 ICC Belfast
 📬 Deadline: Nov 7, 2025 🧵

We have a new WP on governments' capacity to deal with the political implications of structural change💥 Policy interventions *can* effectively mitigate political backlash when they address both material and non-material demands of voters. shorturl.at/zFbZE Check Reto's great summary for details👇

Reto Bürgisser@retobuergisser.bsky.social · last yr.

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

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

🔥 One more week to apply for this postdoc position in Zurich (flexible start date) Feel free to reach out if you have any questions If you'd like to hear from someone who has been working closely with me, @valentinaconsiglio.bsky.social and @retobuergisser.bsky.social are happy to share insights

Thomas Kurer@thmskrr.bsky.social · last yr.

🚨3-Year Postdoc Position in Zurich @ipz.bsky.social ❓Political implications of labor market transformation Plenty of flexibility, no teaching obligations, great research environment in an highly livable city. Deadline: May 18, 2025. tinyurl.com/postdoczurich #polisky #poliscijobs #psjminfo

🚨3-Year Postdoc Position in Zurich @ipz.bsky.social ❓Political implications of labor market transformation Plenty of flexibility, no teaching obligations, great research environment in an highly livable city. Deadline: May 18, 2025. tinyurl.com/postdoczurich #polisky #poliscijobs #psjminfo

Today marks the final day of the DISINTEGRATION project, a project on the mass politics of disintegration generously funded by the @erc.europa.eu . We celebrate with a thread on all we have done and found: 1/20

First instalment of my substack primer on right-wing populism in Europe is out. jacobedenhofer.substack.com/p/explaining...

Explaining the emergence and consolidation of right-wing populism: Part I

Stylised facts, or what has actually happened?

jacobedenhofer.substack.com

My department is *hiring a PhD* student (3 years, fully funded) for a research project on the social and political effects of AI-related technological change. *Deadline: May 4, '25*. See here for more information & to apply: www.jobbnorge.no/en/available... #PoliSky #Sociology #AcademicSky

PhD Fellowship in Politics & Social Sciences (266956) | University of Stavanger

Job title: PhD Fellowship in Politics & Social Sciences (266956), Employer: University of Stavanger, Deadline: Sunday, May 4, 2025

jobbnorge.no

Heißt das, es gibt keine ökonomischen oder sozialen Ursachen für die Wahl der AfD? Nein, natürlich nicht – aber sie sind deutlich komplexer und nuancierter als der im Video genannte „Frust“ über Mieten, Löhne, Bildung, Rente oder Infrastruktur.

📢Special issue and workshop on "The Politics of AI: Citizen Perceptions, Preferences, and Priorities" 📢 We aim to bring together cutting-edge research on the political ramifications of AI for a workshop in Oxford and a special issue in a leading political science journal.(1/2)

Mit jeder weiteren Wahl in Europa gewinnen radikal rechte Parteien an Zustimmung. Welche Auswirkungen persönliche Sorgen vor Mieterhöhung auf den Zuspruch für radikal rechte Parteien haben, behandelt das #PaperderWoche von @tabouchadi.bsky.social, @denis-cohen.bsky.social & @thmskrr.bsky.social. 1/

We are very happy to have Thomas Kurer @thmskrr.bsky.social giving an IPERG Seminar today at @ub.edu. Looking forward to it!

UB School of Economics@ubeconomics.bsky.social · last yr.

Today's #seminar: 'Can Government Policies Moderate Political Backlash to Structural Change?' 🗣️@thmskrr.bsky.social (University of Zurich) ⏰14:20 📍Room 1037, 690 Building. 🔗https://s.mtrbio.com/zbuzomjhap 🗃️ IPERG seminar #Economics #EconSky

Ahead of Germany's snap election, I spoke to researchers about how rising rents are driving voters to the far right and organizers about how they're pushing back and bringing communities together around progressive solutions. Read my reporting at @truthout.org: truthout.org/articles/exp...

Experts Warn No Action on High Rents Could Drive Voters to Germany’s Far Right

Leftist organizing on housing could be an important bulwark against the rise of Germany’s far right AfD party.

truthout.org

📢 Our new paper in Political Analysis explains how to use LLMs like GPT-4o, Llama or Mistral to estimate the ideological and policy position of political texts. Our approach is fast, reliable, cost-effective and reproducible and works with texts written in different languages 1/7 cup.org/4axBEXo