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wepsocial.bsky.social
WEP Journal
@wepsocial.bsky.social
1.8K followers 820 following 200 posts
Editors: Klaus H. Goetz, Dorte Sindbjerg Martinsen, Wolfgang C. Müller. Posts by social media editor @martingross.bsky.social

WEP on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/west-european-politics/
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wepsocial.bsky.social
💥 Online first:

"The irresistible populist force: the Portuguese 2025 snap elections" by Luís Russo

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "The irresistible populist force: the Portuguese 2025 snap elections" by Luís Russo. Figures 2 (upper panel) and 3 (lower panel), displaying yearly change in frequency of the two most important issues facing Portugal (2024-2025; Figure 2) and the three most important concerns facing Portuguese respondents (Figure 3). Figure 4, displaying political party account engagements in Facebook (left panel) and Instagram (right panel). Figure 10, displaying vote switches from different parties in 2024 (left) into Chega in 2025 (right).
November 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥OUT NOW!

"Cleavage size and stability in turbulent times: introducing the bloc volatility and fragmentation dataset" by @jacobgunderson.bsky.social

Part of SI "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies", edited by @dpzollinger.bsky.social & @davidattewell6.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Cleavage size and stability in turbulent times: introducing the bloc volatility and fragmentation dataset" by Jacob R. Gunderson. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying the Loess curves showing trajectory of bloc-weighted cleavage salience index (WCS) over time for transnational (lower curve) and traditional (upper curve) cleavage types from 1951 to 2023 for 14 west european countries. Figure 3, displaying the Loess curves of WCS pooled across 15 West European countries from 1951 to 2023. Figure 4, displaying the effective number of bloc parties for the left and right camps in 15 west european countries from 1951 to 2023.
October 25, 2025 at 7:35 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥Online first:

"How populist citizens see the people and their place in representative democracy"

by Rosa Kindt @robert-a-huber.bsky.social & @kristofjacobs1.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "How populist citizens see the people and their place in representative democracy" by Rosa Kindt, Robert A. Huber and Kristof Jacobs. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying the comparison of high and low populists' marginal means on whether politicians belong to the people. Figure 3, displaying the comparison of marginal means per attribute on the economical dimension in relation to 'belonging to the people'. Figure 4, displaying the comparison of marginal means per attribute on the cultural dimension in relation to 'belonging to the people'.
October 14, 2025 at 7:23 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥Out now: The introduction to the Special Issue "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies"

"Updating cleavage theory for the twenty-first century" by @dpzollinger.bsky.social & @davidattewell6.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Updating cleavage theory for the twenty-first century" by Delia Zollinger and David Attewell. Published online first in West European Politics.
October 7, 2025 at 4:34 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Structural unemployment drives support for income redistribution in Europe, while cyclical unemployment shows no general effect.

👉 Discover how welfare state size moderates the effect of cyclical unemployment in the latest study by Ivan Petrúšek & Kristyna Basna

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Structural and cyclical unemployment and redistribution support in Europe: the moderating role of welfare state size" by Ivan Petrúšek and Kristyna Basna. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 3, displaying point estimates and confidence intervals for the effects of contextual variables. Figure 4, displaying marginal effects of cyclical unemploymemt at different levels of average public social expenditure.
October 7, 2025 at 4:19 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Online first:

"Women’s descriptive representation in multi-level political systems: (almost) no pyramids found"

The new research note by @adamgendzwill.bsky.social & Stanislaw Mazur

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the research note "Women's descriptive representation in multi-level political systems: (almost) no pyramids found" by Adam Gendzwill and Stanislaw Mazur. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying different patterns of the descriptive representation of women at national, regional, and local levels. Figure 2, displaying (a) levels of women's descriptive representation in two-tier countries (left panel), and (b) inter-level gaps in women's representation in three-tier countries (right panel). Tables 1 (upper panel) and 2 (lower panel), presenting the assignment of countries with three or two levels of political representation to specific patterns of women's descriptive representation.
October 7, 2025 at 8:53 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
What matters more to politicians: the quantity or quality of public opinion signals?

Find out in the new article by @bart-maes.bsky.social Stefaan Walgrave Emmi Verleyen Frédéric Varone @annerasmussen.bsky.social & @professormpersson.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "What matters more to politicians: the quantity or quality of public opinion signals?" by Bart Maes, Stefaan Walgrave, Emmi Verleyen, Frédéric Varone, Anne Rasmussen and Mikael Persson. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying average (reversed) importance of each public opinion criterion aggregated across countries. Figure 3, displaying the frequency distribution of the quantity vs. quality public opinion criteria scale. Figure 4, displaying predicted values of politicians' ranking of the criteria.
October 6, 2025 at 1:43 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
What explains the rising turnout in recent EP elections?

@filipkostelka.bsky.social & @evakrejcova.bsky.social find that it's the strength of Eurosceptic parties at the national level. The more seats they hold in national parliament, the more mobilizing the EP election is

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Awakening the sleeping giant: rising Euroscepticism and turnout in European Parliament elections" by Filip Kostelka and Eva Krejcova. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying voter turnout in EP elections between 1979 and 2024. Figure 2, displaying Euroscepticism in national elections between 1974 and 2024. Figure 3, displaying predicted turnout at different levels of euroscepticism in national parliament.
October 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥 Online first:

"Easier said than done: the European Parliament’s entrepreneurs in the treaty change discourse"

by @karolinaboronska.bsky.social & @krotky.bsky.social

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Easier said than done: the European Parliament’s entrepreneurs in the treaty change discourse" by Karolina Borońska-Hryniewiecka and Jan Kotýnek Krotký. Published online first in West European Politics. Table 2, displaying the distribution of entrepreneurial positions in the sample. Figure 1, displaying the distribution of entrepreneur positions within political groups. Figure 2, displaying the distribution of entrepreneur positions by the level of country decentralisation.
September 25, 2025 at 5:04 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
New article by @davidevampa.bsky.social

👉 Regional elections across Western Europe are becoming more unstable, often mirroring national turbulence. But the link weakens where regionalist parties are strong, institutions are powerful, or regions are more prosperous.

🔗 doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "From nations to regions: electoral volatility in European multi-level politics" by Davide Vampa. Published online first in West European Politics. 📊 Figure 1 Regional elections in Europe often mirror national instability – but only for national parties. ✅ RTV (national parties) volatility closely follows GE volatility ❌ RSV (regional parties) volatility depends on past regional dynamics, not national ones 👉 Multi-level de-institutionalisation is real, but region-specific politics follow their own path. 📊 Figure 3 – Regionalist parties and electoral volatility Across Europe, regional elections often reflect national volatility – but the association is weaker where regionalist parties are strong. 🔹 When regionalist parties are weak → national volatility is more clearly echoed regionally 🔹 When they are strong → the link is much less evident 👉 Regionalist strength is linked to weaker connections between national and regional electoral turbulence. 📊 Figure 7 – National volatility and regional disparities Instability in national elections is more strongly reflected in regional election outcomes in poorer regions. In more prosperous regions, the association weakens or disappears. (And as Figure 5 shows, strong regional institutions also reduce the connection with national turbulence.) 👉 Economic prosperity & institutional strength condition how national and regional volatility are linked.
September 25, 2025 at 8:20 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥Online first:

"The sound of party competition: how applause reflects unity, disagreement, and the electoral cycle in parliaments"

by @ankuepfer.bsky.social @jocmuel.bsky.social & @pluggedchris.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the research article "The sound of party competition: how applause reflects unity, disagreement, and the electoral cycle in parliaments" by Andreas Küpfer, Jochen Müller and Christian Stecker. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying the occurences of different types of reactions in the German Bundestag between 1976 and 2020. Figure 3, displaying the heatmap of predicted applause per 1000 words based on a Poission regression model. Figure 5, displaying expected applause for interaction terms government and opposition.
September 12, 2025 at 6:36 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
🌟Online first:

"Ideological bias in policy implementation: public opinion and policy outcomes in 43 democracies"

Research Note by @professormpersson.bsky.social & Anders Sundell

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the research note "Ideological bias in policy implementation: public opinion and policy outcomes in 43 democracies" by Mikael Persson and Anders Sundell. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying triangles of representation, showing congruence (y-axis) and under-/over-provision of policy (x-axis). Figure 3, displaying public support for and implementation of leftist and rightist proposals. Figure 4, displaying policy provision and congruence. Leftist and TAN proposals are the most under-provided relative to public support.
September 10, 2025 at 10:36 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💫Online first:

"How we think about the political stances of others: evidence on projection from Canada, Germany, and the UK"

by @seonghuilee.bsky.social & @avkevins.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "How we think about the political stances of others: evidence on projection from Canada, Germany, and the UK" by Seonghui Lee and Anthony Kevins. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 2, displaying perceived ideological distances when a hypotheical individual does and does not share partisanship. Figure 3, displaying perceived ideological distances by the number of shared socio-demographic characteristics. Figure 4, displaying the substantive effect of socio-demographic characteristics on perceived ideological proximity.
September 10, 2025 at 6:27 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
📉 New study by Veronika Patkós & Bendegú Plesz: Political polarisation weakens democratic accountability across 28 European democracies.

Both ideological & partisan divides reduce citizens’ ability to hold leaders accountable.

🔗 Read more: doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Does political polarisation undermine democratic accountability? Evidence from 28 European democracies" by Veronika Patkós and Bendegúz Plesz. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying the relationship between partisan and ideological polarisation and accountability. Figure 2, displaying the relationship between partisan polarisation and accountability over time in six countries. Figure 3, displaying the predicted relationship between types of polarisation and accountability.
September 9, 2025 at 5:20 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
New expert survey on prime ministerial power in 21 parliamentary democracies by @alexmarland.bsky.social Eoin O'Malley & @galapalavicini.bsky.social

‼️Findings challenge assumptions about growing executive centralization and trends toward presidentialism ‼️

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the research note "The power of prime ministers: evidence from 21 parliamentary democracies" by Alex Marland, Eoin O'Malley and Gala Palavicini. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying the distribution of prime ministerial power over policy (2002-2023). Figure 2, displaying the distribution of prime ministerial power to hire and fire ministers (2002-2023). Figure 3, displaying the distribution of prime ministerial styles, collegial or controlling (2002-2023).
September 9, 2025 at 8:52 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥Online first:

"Communicating a common front: mainstream party rhetoric and affective polarisation towards the radical right"

by @markuskollberg.bsky.social & @ivobantel.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Communicating a common front: mainstream party rhetoric and affective polarisation towards the radical right" by Markus Kollberg and Ivo Bantel. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying the means of elite-level negative rhetoric for target and origin parties (re-scaled to 0-10) and affective polarisation scores in the public. Figure 4, displaying the means of skalometer outcome across treatment conditions. Figure 5, displaying the means of feeling thermometer outcome across treatment conditions.
September 8, 2025 at 9:20 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Online first: "How local is decentral politics? Variations in the supply of municipal policies" by Christoffer Florczak, Thor Bech Schrøder, Ulrik Kjaer & @robertklemmensen.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "How local is decentral politics? Variations in the supply of municipal policies" by Christoffer Florczak, Thor Bech Schrøder, Ulrik Kjaer and Robert Klemmensen. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying within party variation in positions across geographical units in 2013 election. Figure 2, displaying within party variation in positions across geographical units in 2017 election. Figure 3, displaying variation in party space within municipalities.
September 6, 2025 at 8:37 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
💥 Online first in West European Politics:

"Cleavage theory meets civil society: a framework and research agenda"

by @mierkezat.bsky.social @eborbath.bsky.social & @swenhutter.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Cleavage theory meets civil society: a framework and research agenda" by Alex Mierke-Zatwarnicki, Endre Borbáth and Swen Hutter. Published online first in West European Politics. Table 1, displaying the role of civil society across stages of cleavage development. Figure 2, displaying the members of civil society organisations among the electorate of political parties in Austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and Switzerland.
September 5, 2025 at 1:12 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Online first:

"Stuck on the stairway of change: the EU’s enlargement and security and defence policies post 2022"

by @antoanetadl.bsky.social Seda Gürkan & Joachm Koops

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Stuck on the stairway of change: the EU’s enlargement and security and defence policies post 2022" by Antoaneta L. Dimitrova, Seda Gürkan and Joachim Koops. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying the "stairway of change".
September 5, 2025 at 12:53 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Online first:

"Pathways to politics: a sequence analysis of political apathy and involvement"

by @sjungkunz.bsky.social l & Paul Marx

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Pathways to politics: a sequence analysis of political apathy and involvement" by Sebastian Jungkunz and Paul Marx. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 4, displaying predicted probabilities of cluster membership by parental covariates (Germany). Figure 5, displaying estimated probabilities of late involvement and independents by individual level covariates (Germany). Figure 6, displaying the sequence distribution and sequence frequency by cluster (UK, age 11–15).
September 5, 2025 at 7:17 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
❓Whether & why do young men oppose feminist policies?

💡Anwers by Amy Alexander, Nicholas Charron & @gefjonoff.bsky.social in their new article:

"Young men, gendered labour market competition, and opposition to gender equality policy across 27 EU countries"

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Young men, gendered labour market competition, and opposition to gender equality policy across 27 EU countries" by Amy Alexander, Nicholas Charron and Gefjon Off. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying the difference in men's versus women's approval of gender equality policies. Figure 2, displaying the approval of gender quality policies by respondent gender and age. Figure 5, displaying average treatment effects by sum-samples.
August 11, 2025 at 8:58 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Immigrant-origin voters & native behave the same, but have different experiences across the political life cycle.

New research @wepsocial.bsky.social by @emppolitikwiss.bsky.social Jonas Elis & @sabrinajmayer.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "The political life cycle and electoral mobilisation among immigrant-origin and native citizens during the 2021 German election" by Achim Goerres, Jonas Elis and Sabrina Jasmin Mayer. Published online first in West European Politics. Table 1, displaying the political life cycle with three phases. Figure 1, displaying the coefficient plot for three dependent variables: political interest (left panel), propensity to vote (middle panel), ease of voting (right panel). Table 4, displaying the overview for hypotheses and results.
August 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
🎊 Online first!

The research note "Opposition parties seek more conflict with the government when losing electoral support" by @eliaskoch.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Opposition parties seek more conflict with the government when losing electoral support" by Elias Koch. Published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, displaying polling gains and losses relative to latest vote share by opposition party in the various German states. Table 1, displaying the OLS models estimating conflict density. Figure 2, displaying marginal effects for the interaction term describing the association between polling performance and conflict density among gaining and losing parties. Based on model 2 in Table 1.
August 4, 2025 at 5:26 PM
wepsocial.bsky.social
❓Does judicial diversity matter for court rulings?

💡The outcome of immigration appeals in the UK significantly hinges on the identity of the deciding judge.

👉@movadek.bsky.social shows that minority women are stricter on migrants than minority men & white female judges.

doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Abstract of the article "Judicial diversity and immigration appeals: evidence from the United Kingdom" by Michal Ovádek, published online first in West European Politics. Figure 1, depicting the immigration and asylum appeal process in the UK. Table 1, displaying linear regression models of judges' background characteristics. Figure 4, showing the predicted values of average government success from an interacted model (6).
July 31, 2025 at 9:07 AM
wepsocial.bsky.social
Online first: "School subject choices in adolescence affect political party support" by @nspmartin.bsky.social @ralphscott.bsky.social & @rolandkappe.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/0140...

Part of the Special Issue "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies"
Abstract of the article "School subject choices in adolescence affect political party support" by Nicole S. Martin, Ralph Scott and Roland Kappe. Published online first in West European Politics. Part of the forthcoming Special Issue "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies", edited by Delia Zollinger and David Attewell. Figure 1, displaying the effects of choosing a school subject for the General Certificate of Secondary Education on vote intention in adolescence. Figure 2, displaying the effects of choosing a school subject for A-Levels on vote intention in adolescence. Figure 5, displaying the effects of choosing a school subject for the General Certificate of Secondary Education on vote intention in adulthood. This time displayed for specific parties in the UK.
July 11, 2025 at 6:02 AM