Research

Current third-party funded research projects

Polarization through and in referendums: mapping polarization within and beyond the party system, 2022–2028. Emmy Noether grant funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

Legacies of democratic transition. Explaining the success of the populist radical right in eastern Germany, 2023–2025. Funded by Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

Working Papers

“Voter expectations in district elections without polls. The role of national polls and previous district results” (with Lukas Stötzer, University of Witten-Herdecke, Mark A. Kayser, Hertie School, and Andreas Murr, University of Warwick) – accepted at Public Opinion Quarterly and awaiting production

“Can individual MPs damage their party’s brand? Quasi-experimental evidence from a public procurement corruption scandal” (with Lukas Rudolph, University of Konstanz) – conditionally accepted at The Journal of Politics and awaiting replication

“At the geographical and ideological fringes. The success of populist radical right parties in peripheral regions” (with Dominik Kevický, Masaryk University Brno) – R&R

“Wahlerwartungsbefragungen in gemischten Wahlsystemen. Die Bundestagswahl 2021 als Testfall” (with Lukas Stötzer, Humboldt-University Berlin, Mark A. Kayser, Hertie School, and Andreas Murr, University of Warwick) – invited contribution to the edited volume “Wahlen und Wähler. Analysen aus Anlass der Bundestagswahl 2021” (edited by Harald Schoen and Bernhard Weßels)

“Die Positionen der politischen Parteien zur Ausweitung der direkten Demokratie in Deutschland” – invited contribution to the edited volume “Jahrbuch Direkte Demokratie 2002” (edited by Nadja Braun Binder, Lars P. Feld, Peter M. Huber, Klaus Poier and Fabian Wittreck)

“Ideological and affective polarization in multiparty systems” (with Felix Grünewald and Nelly Buntfuß, Chemnitz University of Technology) – available on SocArVix under review

“Left behind and Voting Right: Residential Sorting and Populist Radical Right Support in Eastern Germany” (with Mark A. Kayser, Hertie School and Dani Sandu, Chemnitz University of Technology)

“All politics is local. The electoral benefits to candidates having a local name” (with Tilko Swalve, University of Hanover)

“A Measured Response? Ideological Attitudes Influence how Populist Communication on Social Media Affects the Reactance to and Support of Pandemic Restrictions” (mit Julian Bornemeier, Sonia Kampel, Björn Junge und Frank Asbrock, all Chemnitz University of Technology)

“Unequal Turnout among First-Time Voters: The Role of Efficacy Beliefs” (with Susanne Garritzmann, Sigrid Roßteutscher, Birgit Becker, all Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Thorsten Faas, Freie Universität Berlin, Max Jansen, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, and Armin Schäfer, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz)

Work in Progress

“Citizen Forecasting in a Mixed Electoral System’’ (with Lukas Stötzer, Humboldt-University Berlin, Mark A. Kayser, Hertie School, and Andreas Murr, University of Warwick)

Media and Blogs

I also occasionally write for media outlets and blogs about my research and data analyses I do in my ‘free time.’ See below for a selection of posts.