Frederik Hjorth
@fghjorth.bsky.social
Associate Prof, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen
We then ask: are these signals strategic? Two results suggest yes.
• Legislators exhibit greater arousal in high-profile debates with substantial media attention.
• They signal more conflict toward parties with > bargaining leverage—i.e., parties that could shape alternative governments. 6/11
• Legislators exhibit greater arousal in high-profile debates with substantial media attention.
• They signal more conflict toward parties with > bargaining leverage—i.e., parties that could shape alternative governments. 6/11
December 4, 2025 at 3:19 PM
We then ask: are these signals strategic? Two results suggest yes.
• Legislators exhibit greater arousal in high-profile debates with substantial media attention.
• They signal more conflict toward parties with > bargaining leverage—i.e., parties that could shape alternative governments. 6/11
• Legislators exhibit greater arousal in high-profile debates with substantial media attention.
• They signal more conflict toward parties with > bargaining leverage—i.e., parties that could shape alternative governments. 6/11
Political communication research overwhelmingly relies on text. But parliamentary speech is multimodal! In our new @psrm.bsky.social article, Mathias Rask and I show that legislators also signal partisan conflict nonverbally— through changes in vocal pitch during floor speeches. 🧵 1/11 #polisky
December 4, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Political communication research overwhelmingly relies on text. But parliamentary speech is multimodal! In our new @psrm.bsky.social article, Mathias Rask and I show that legislators also signal partisan conflict nonverbally— through changes in vocal pitch during floor speeches. 🧵 1/11 #polisky
Lastly, Friday 4.50pm, @fkjoeller.bsky.social will present a paper on the link between commuting costs and geographic inequality in representation 🌉 (thx to @carlsbergfondet.dk for support 🙏 ) 5/5
June 25, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Lastly, Friday 4.50pm, @fkjoeller.bsky.social will present a paper on the link between commuting costs and geographic inequality in representation 🌉 (thx to @carlsbergfondet.dk for support 🙏 ) 5/5
Thursday 1.10pm, I will present a paper on the role of family background in explaining affective polarization 👪 (thx to @erc.europa.eu for support 🇪🇺 ) 4/5
June 25, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Thursday 1.10pm, I will present a paper on the role of family background in explaining affective polarization 👪 (thx to @erc.europa.eu for support 🇪🇺 ) 4/5
Thursday 11.20am, @olivialevinsen.bsky.social will present a paper on party nominations and long-term trends on women's descriptive representation 👩💼 (thx to @carlsbergfondet.dk for support 🙏 ) 3/5
June 25, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Thursday 11.20am, @olivialevinsen.bsky.social will present a paper on party nominations and long-term trends on women's descriptive representation 👩💼 (thx to @carlsbergfondet.dk for support 🙏 ) 3/5
Thursday 9.30am, @torewig.bsky.social will present a paper on measuring and explaining global variation in "critical social science" 🌎 2/5
June 25, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Thursday 9.30am, @torewig.bsky.social will present a paper on measuring and explaining global variation in "critical social science" 🌎 2/5
Pumped to be at #EPSA2025 in sunny Madrid, where my esteemed coauthors and I will present four papers. Quick 🧵 on the papers in chronological order 👇 1/5
June 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Pumped to be at #EPSA2025 in sunny Madrid, where my esteemed coauthors and I will present four papers. Quick 🧵 on the papers in chronological order 👇 1/5
Do voters prefer simple rhetoric? Yes. In a preregistered survey experiment (N ≈ 4k), citizens preferred the exact same policy stated simply over complex wording by 0.34 pts on a 0-10 scale. 8/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Do voters prefer simple rhetoric? Yes. In a preregistered survey experiment (N ≈ 4k), citizens preferred the exact same policy stated simply over complex wording by 0.34 pts on a 0-10 scale. 8/10
Instead, it's likely about agenda constraints. Topic model evidence shows ministers pivot toward technocratic & crisis issues (e.g., EU treaties, COVID-19) and away from easy ideological staples (taxes, immigration) → govt. agendas are harder to talk about simply. 7/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Instead, it's likely about agenda constraints. Topic model evidence shows ministers pivot toward technocratic & crisis issues (e.g., EU treaties, COVID-19) and away from easy ideological staples (taxes, immigration) → govt. agendas are harder to talk about simply. 7/10
It is not about formal speech requirements. To show this, I consider high profile opening/closing debates where ministers aren’t forced to read bills. Same simplicity gap. 6/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
It is not about formal speech requirements. To show this, I consider high profile opening/closing debates where ministers aren’t forced to read bills. Same simplicity gap. 6/10
🔄 Once politicians leave cabinet, simplicity bounces back. No evidence of a permanent drift—this is office-specific, not aging or learning. 5/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
🔄 Once politicians leave cabinet, simplicity bounces back. No evidence of a permanent drift—this is office-specific, not aging or learning. 5/10
Main finding: The moment an MP becomes a minister, readability drops sharply—about 0.13–0.20 SD below their own pre-government baseline. 4/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Main finding: The moment an MP becomes a minister, readability drops sharply—about 0.13–0.20 SD below their own pre-government baseline. 4/10
To provide evidence, I collect 1.5 million speech snippets from Denmark’s parliament (1997-2022) & link them to every MP’s career path. I use two measures of simplicity, validated with survey assessments. 3/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
To provide evidence, I collect 1.5 million speech snippets from Denmark’s parliament (1997-2022) & link them to every MP’s career path. I use two measures of simplicity, validated with survey assessments. 3/10
🚨 New publication 🚨 : Happy to share that my paper, "Losing Touch: The Rhetorical Cost of Governing" is now forthcoming at @cpsjournal.bsky.social. Short 🧵 about the paper here 👇 1/10
May 22, 2025 at 9:56 AM
🚨 New publication 🚨 : Happy to share that my paper, "Losing Touch: The Rhetorical Cost of Governing" is now forthcoming at @cpsjournal.bsky.social. Short 🧵 about the paper here 👇 1/10
Challenger parties move toward the political center in stated positions, and machine learning models have a harder time identifying them based on word choice.
7/10
7/10
April 4, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Challenger parties move toward the political center in stated positions, and machine learning models have a harder time identifying them based on word choice.
7/10
7/10
Using data from 2,500+ local elections and over 15,000 committee assignments, we find that challenger parties who barely secure representation are nearly 20 percentage points more likely to enter government later.
4/10
4/10
April 4, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Using data from 2,500+ local elections and over 15,000 committee assignments, we find that challenger parties who barely secure representation are nearly 20 percentage points more likely to enter government later.
4/10
4/10
Across 19 Western European countries (1950–2017), we first find a clear pattern: challenger parties rarely enter government immediately after gaining seats. But if they serve one full term, their chances of joining a coalition roughly double. 📈
2/10
2/10
April 4, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Across 19 Western European countries (1950–2017), we first find a clear pattern: challenger parties rarely enter government immediately after gaining seats. But if they serve one full term, their chances of joining a coalition roughly double. 📈
2/10
2/10
How do challenger parties—those without prior governing experience—gain access to executive power? In our paper out now in @thejop.bsky.social, @mvinaes.bsky.social, @jacobnyrup.bsky.social, and I explore whether simply holding legislative office helps them join government. Brief 🧵👇
1/10
1/10
April 4, 2025 at 12:16 PM
How do challenger parties—those without prior governing experience—gain access to executive power? In our paper out now in @thejop.bsky.social, @mvinaes.bsky.social, @jacobnyrup.bsky.social, and I explore whether simply holding legislative office helps them join government. Brief 🧵👇
1/10
1/10
Hvad mener danskerne om tilskud til 🇬🇱? I @altingetdk.bsky.social's måling relativt flertal bag at fortsætte "i nogle år" efter løsrivelse. I @jyllands-posten.dk's markant flertal for "omgående ophør". Typisk volatilitet for et nyt og komplekst emne. #dkpol
January 24, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Hvad mener danskerne om tilskud til 🇬🇱? I @altingetdk.bsky.social's måling relativt flertal bag at fortsætte "i nogle år" efter løsrivelse. I @jyllands-posten.dk's markant flertal for "omgående ophør". Typisk volatilitet for et nyt og komplekst emne. #dkpol
Adventures with DeepSeek 🇨🇳
January 21, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Adventures with DeepSeek 🇨🇳
This Politico article on the Biden-Pelosi rift is interesting throughout. One odd detail: when Nancy Pelosi breaks her hip in Luxembourg, she does not even entertain the idea of getting local treatment.
January 19, 2025 at 2:49 PM
This Politico article on the Biden-Pelosi rift is interesting throughout. One odd detail: when Nancy Pelosi breaks her hip in Luxembourg, she does not even entertain the idea of getting local treatment.
What counts as an election win? Anglo media frame Wilders' plurality in 🇳🇱 as an "election victory", but multiparty systems are tricky. Take 🇩🇰 in 2015: the plurality winner lost government control, and the biggest loser by vote share formed a single party government instead 🙃
November 23, 2023 at 9:01 AM
What counts as an election win? Anglo media frame Wilders' plurality in 🇳🇱 as an "election victory", but multiparty systems are tricky. Take 🇩🇰 in 2015: the plurality winner lost government control, and the biggest loser by vote share formed a single party government instead 🙃
Pumped to have @andyguess.com visit University of Copenhagen to talk about political effects of social media algorithms. Kudos to Yevgeniy Golovchenko for organizing 👏 🌐
October 25, 2023 at 9:12 AM
Pumped to have @andyguess.com visit University of Copenhagen to talk about political effects of social media algorithms. Kudos to Yevgeniy Golovchenko for organizing 👏 🌐
Had the pleasure of taking part in this year’s edition of the Nordic Workshop on Political Behavior, hosted at University of Copenhagen. Stellar lineup of papers, superb feedback, great company. Look out for next year’s call!
September 24, 2023 at 8:47 AM
Had the pleasure of taking part in this year’s edition of the Nordic Workshop on Political Behavior, hosted at University of Copenhagen. Stellar lineup of papers, superb feedback, great company. Look out for next year’s call!