Zeljko Poljak
@zeljkopoljak.bsky.social
Postdoc @ University of Antwerp
Political Communication | Party Politics | Agenda-Setting
www.zeljkopoljak.com
Political Communication | Party Politics | Agenda-Setting
www.zeljkopoljak.com
Pinned
Negative and uncivil politicians in parliament secure prime-time TV coverage more easily. 📺 The more this happens, the higher the probability of them resorting to negativity again. 🔁
Read more in my latest paper published in IJPP: doi.org/10.1177/1940...
Read more in my latest paper published in IJPP: doi.org/10.1177/1940...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🔔Job Alert 🔔
Thrilled to share that @stefaniebailer.bsky.social and I have been awarded 1.5 million CHF in SNSF funding for our new project: “Electoral choice: Which role does legislators’ quality play?”
We’re recruiting 1 postdoc and 2 PhD candidates to join us in Basel and Geneva!
Thrilled to share that @stefaniebailer.bsky.social and I have been awarded 1.5 million CHF in SNSF funding for our new project: “Electoral choice: Which role does legislators’ quality play?”
We’re recruiting 1 postdoc and 2 PhD candidates to join us in Basel and Geneva!
November 25, 2025 at 9:33 AM
🔔Job Alert 🔔
Thrilled to share that @stefaniebailer.bsky.social and I have been awarded 1.5 million CHF in SNSF funding for our new project: “Electoral choice: Which role does legislators’ quality play?”
We’re recruiting 1 postdoc and 2 PhD candidates to join us in Basel and Geneva!
Thrilled to share that @stefaniebailer.bsky.social and I have been awarded 1.5 million CHF in SNSF funding for our new project: “Electoral choice: Which role does legislators’ quality play?”
We’re recruiting 1 postdoc and 2 PhD candidates to join us in Basel and Geneva!
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Several recent studies have found that politicians aren't very good at estimating public support for policies. But we have little idea about whether politicians are good at knowing which issues are more important to voters. Our new publication has a first go at answering this question rdcu.be/eQGm4
How Politicians (mis)Perceive Policy Salience
eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Several recent studies have found that politicians aren't very good at estimating public support for policies. But we have little idea about whether politicians are good at knowing which issues are more important to voters. Our new publication has a first go at answering this question rdcu.be/eQGm4
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Do policy preferences of voters and non-voters differ in European democracies?
My new article in @ejprjournal.bsky.social finds: Yes, sometimes, but this is not the norm.
Let's break it down. 🧵 1/10
My new article in @ejprjournal.bsky.social finds: Yes, sometimes, but this is not the norm.
Let's break it down. 🧵 1/10
November 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Do policy preferences of voters and non-voters differ in European democracies?
My new article in @ejprjournal.bsky.social finds: Yes, sometimes, but this is not the norm.
Let's break it down. 🧵 1/10
My new article in @ejprjournal.bsky.social finds: Yes, sometimes, but this is not the norm.
Let's break it down. 🧵 1/10
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🎬 Excited to co-direct a #ecprjs26 Workshop w/ J. Dedeigne on hostile communication styles 🤬
Working on uncivil 🙄, intolerant 🙅🏻♀️, or violent 🤜 political rhetoric and its effects across countries, contexts, or media? Join us!
📅 Submit by 10 Dec: tinyurl.com/yjcaa3ay
Working on uncivil 🙄, intolerant 🙅🏻♀️, or violent 🤜 political rhetoric and its effects across countries, contexts, or media? Join us!
📅 Submit by 10 Dec: tinyurl.com/yjcaa3ay
The Rise of Hostile Communication Styles and their Consequences for the Functioning of Modern Democracies
European Consortium for Political Research
ecpr.eu
November 17, 2025 at 1:13 PM
🎬 Excited to co-direct a #ecprjs26 Workshop w/ J. Dedeigne on hostile communication styles 🤬
Working on uncivil 🙄, intolerant 🙅🏻♀️, or violent 🤜 political rhetoric and its effects across countries, contexts, or media? Join us!
📅 Submit by 10 Dec: tinyurl.com/yjcaa3ay
Working on uncivil 🙄, intolerant 🙅🏻♀️, or violent 🤜 political rhetoric and its effects across countries, contexts, or media? Join us!
📅 Submit by 10 Dec: tinyurl.com/yjcaa3ay
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🚨New paper out in @jeppjournal.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1080/1350...
@manuelwagner.bsky.social & I re-conceptualize class representation to take into account social mobility between classes and variation in how individuals enter politics.
@manuelwagner.bsky.social & I re-conceptualize class representation to take into account social mobility between classes and variation in how individuals enter politics.
October 29, 2025 at 9:55 AM
🚨New paper out in @jeppjournal.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1080/1350...
@manuelwagner.bsky.social & I re-conceptualize class representation to take into account social mobility between classes and variation in how individuals enter politics.
@manuelwagner.bsky.social & I re-conceptualize class representation to take into account social mobility between classes and variation in how individuals enter politics.
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🚨 New piece out at @thejop.bsky.social w awesome @cvargiu.bsky.social & D Garzia
If incivility means breaking norms, & norms are person- and context-dependent, *does incivility even exist*?
In the stage-2 registered report we investigate what drives perceptions of incivility
tinyurl.com/4h5u4y8y
If incivility means breaking norms, & norms are person- and context-dependent, *does incivility even exist*?
In the stage-2 registered report we investigate what drives perceptions of incivility
tinyurl.com/4h5u4y8y
October 28, 2025 at 3:44 PM
🚨 New piece out at @thejop.bsky.social w awesome @cvargiu.bsky.social & D Garzia
If incivility means breaking norms, & norms are person- and context-dependent, *does incivility even exist*?
In the stage-2 registered report we investigate what drives perceptions of incivility
tinyurl.com/4h5u4y8y
If incivility means breaking norms, & norms are person- and context-dependent, *does incivility even exist*?
In the stage-2 registered report we investigate what drives perceptions of incivility
tinyurl.com/4h5u4y8y
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Over the moon to see this paper out in the @ejprjournal.bsky.social David Willumsen and I look at coalition agreements in the Netherlands. We show that the greater the share of negotiating parties that agree on a policy the more likely it ends up in the agreement www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Coalition government formation and policy payoffs | European Journal of Political Research | Cambridge Core
Coalition government formation and policy payoffs
www.cambridge.org
October 9, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Over the moon to see this paper out in the @ejprjournal.bsky.social David Willumsen and I look at coalition agreements in the Netherlands. We show that the greater the share of negotiating parties that agree on a policy the more likely it ends up in the agreement www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Politicians don’t just care how many people hold an opinion — they care how good that opinion is. In our new (open-access) article in West European Politics, based on survey data from 900+ politicians across 11 countries, we show: quality > quantity. Read more: doi.org/10.1080/0140...
October 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Politicians don’t just care how many people hold an opinion — they care how good that opinion is. In our new (open-access) article in West European Politics, based on survey data from 900+ politicians across 11 countries, we show: quality > quantity. Read more: doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Looking forward to seeing your paper, panel, roundtable etc. proposals for the Party Politics section of EPSS. Don't forget: submissions are due on November 7, and the conference will take place in Belfast on June 18-20. @epssnet.bsky.social @sarahwagner.bsky.social
▶️ Party Politics
👉🏽 Section chairs: @zeynsom.bsky.social & @sarahwagner.bsky.social
📢 This section welcomes work on party organizations, party electoral strategies, parties in government, as well as electoral and behavioral consequences of parties’ strategies & their organizational changes.
1/
👉🏽 Section chairs: @zeynsom.bsky.social & @sarahwagner.bsky.social
📢 This section welcomes work on party organizations, party electoral strategies, parties in government, as well as electoral and behavioral consequences of parties’ strategies & their organizational changes.
1/
September 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Looking forward to seeing your paper, panel, roundtable etc. proposals for the Party Politics section of EPSS. Don't forget: submissions are due on November 7, and the conference will take place in Belfast on June 18-20. @epssnet.bsky.social @sarahwagner.bsky.social
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
📢 My last PhD paper is out in Legislative Studies Quarterly 📢
📌 Main finding
➡️ Party control of speaking time in parliament limits MPs’ geographical focus
➡️ Open access increases constituency representation
🔗 Read it open access here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
📌 Main finding
➡️ Party control of speaking time in parliament limits MPs’ geographical focus
➡️ Open access increases constituency representation
🔗 Read it open access here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
September 23, 2025 at 7:58 AM
📢 My last PhD paper is out in Legislative Studies Quarterly 📢
📌 Main finding
➡️ Party control of speaking time in parliament limits MPs’ geographical focus
➡️ Open access increases constituency representation
🔗 Read it open access here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
📌 Main finding
➡️ Party control of speaking time in parliament limits MPs’ geographical focus
➡️ Open access increases constituency representation
🔗 Read it open access here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Our article “Unsuccessful Candidates Are More Concerned About Electoral Fairness than Election Winners” is now online @thejop.bsky.social
Using RDD and elite survey data from Denmark, we show that losing candidates express greater concern about electoral fairness.
🔗 doi.org/10.1086/734240
Using RDD and elite survey data from Denmark, we show that losing candidates express greater concern about electoral fairness.
🔗 doi.org/10.1086/734240
September 12, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Our article “Unsuccessful Candidates Are More Concerned About Electoral Fairness than Election Winners” is now online @thejop.bsky.social
Using RDD and elite survey data from Denmark, we show that losing candidates express greater concern about electoral fairness.
🔗 doi.org/10.1086/734240
Using RDD and elite survey data from Denmark, we show that losing candidates express greater concern about electoral fairness.
🔗 doi.org/10.1086/734240
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
1/4
Download our new book for FREE! Thiago, Laron, and I explain why studying whether and how voters know what parties want (and who goes with whom) is important and layout a framework for how to do this better. Check out the cover, promotional comic, and abstract
cup.org/4mkBibw
Download our new book for FREE! Thiago, Laron, and I explain why studying whether and how voters know what parties want (and who goes with whom) is important and layout a framework for how to do this better. Check out the cover, promotional comic, and abstract
cup.org/4mkBibw
August 18, 2025 at 8:47 PM
1/4
Download our new book for FREE! Thiago, Laron, and I explain why studying whether and how voters know what parties want (and who goes with whom) is important and layout a framework for how to do this better. Check out the cover, promotional comic, and abstract
cup.org/4mkBibw
Download our new book for FREE! Thiago, Laron, and I explain why studying whether and how voters know what parties want (and who goes with whom) is important and layout a framework for how to do this better. Check out the cover, promotional comic, and abstract
cup.org/4mkBibw
In our new study, @rozemarijnvandijk.bsky.social and I looked at who gets interrupted during debates in the parliaments of 🇦🇺🇭🇷🇬🇧. We find that women and men get interrupted just as often. Yet, when more women join the debate, politicians interrupt less.
➡️ Read the full study: doi.org/10.1093/pa/g...
➡️ Read the full study: doi.org/10.1093/pa/g...
August 6, 2025 at 12:17 PM
In our new study, @rozemarijnvandijk.bsky.social and I looked at who gets interrupted during debates in the parliaments of 🇦🇺🇭🇷🇬🇧. We find that women and men get interrupted just as often. Yet, when more women join the debate, politicians interrupt less.
➡️ Read the full study: doi.org/10.1093/pa/g...
➡️ Read the full study: doi.org/10.1093/pa/g...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
New paper out @wepsocial.bsky.social!
🥡 Key Take-Away: Opposition parties seek more conflict with the government when performing poorly in the polls – especially when falling below their previous election result.
Read full 🧵 below:
🥡 Key Take-Away: Opposition parties seek more conflict with the government when performing poorly in the polls – especially when falling below their previous election result.
Read full 🧵 below:
August 1, 2025 at 1:42 PM
New paper out @wepsocial.bsky.social!
🥡 Key Take-Away: Opposition parties seek more conflict with the government when performing poorly in the polls – especially when falling below their previous election result.
Read full 🧵 below:
🥡 Key Take-Away: Opposition parties seek more conflict with the government when performing poorly in the polls – especially when falling below their previous election result.
Read full 🧵 below:
Great to attend IPSA's World Congress in the fantastic city of Seoul! 🇰🇷 I had the chance to present ongoing research and engage with impressive work from fellow political science colleagues. Seoul was an incredible place to visit, truly a memorable experience!
July 18, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Great to attend IPSA's World Congress in the fantastic city of Seoul! 🇰🇷 I had the chance to present ongoing research and engage with impressive work from fellow political science colleagues. Seoul was an incredible place to visit, truly a memorable experience!
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Thrilled that my article on women's activism in PRR parties has been published open access today in @cpsjournal.bsky.social 💫
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
This is my favourite article from my PhD thesis. I love the topic, its findings, and the literature it draws on.
A quick 🧵:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
This is my favourite article from my PhD thesis. I love the topic, its findings, and the literature it draws on.
A quick 🧵:
June 17, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Thrilled that my article on women's activism in PRR parties has been published open access today in @cpsjournal.bsky.social 💫
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
This is my favourite article from my PhD thesis. I love the topic, its findings, and the literature it draws on.
A quick 🧵:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
This is my favourite article from my PhD thesis. I love the topic, its findings, and the literature it draws on.
A quick 🧵:
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Our new book THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTACK POLITICS is out next month! 🔥📚
We offer a new look at negativity effects, via perceptions & evaluations🤔😱👿🤣
You can pre-order it with a nice 20% discount on the cover price (for paperbacks this makes it £32 or so)
Check out discount code & link in the flyer 👇
We offer a new look at negativity effects, via perceptions & evaluations🤔😱👿🤣
You can pre-order it with a nice 20% discount on the cover price (for paperbacks this makes it £32 or so)
Check out discount code & link in the flyer 👇
June 16, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Our new book THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTACK POLITICS is out next month! 🔥📚
We offer a new look at negativity effects, via perceptions & evaluations🤔😱👿🤣
You can pre-order it with a nice 20% discount on the cover price (for paperbacks this makes it £32 or so)
Check out discount code & link in the flyer 👇
We offer a new look at negativity effects, via perceptions & evaluations🤔😱👿🤣
You can pre-order it with a nice 20% discount on the cover price (for paperbacks this makes it £32 or so)
Check out discount code & link in the flyer 👇
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🎉 New Special Issue out in Swiss Political Science Review!
Together with @christinajuen.bsky.social @martingross.bsky.social @simonotjes.bsky.social & Michael Jankowski, I co-edited a collection of articles on party politics at the local level.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/16626370...
🧵👇
Together with @christinajuen.bsky.social @martingross.bsky.social @simonotjes.bsky.social & Michael Jankowski, I co-edited a collection of articles on party politics at the local level.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/16626370...
🧵👇
Swiss Political Science Review: Vol 31, No 2
Click on the title to browse this issue
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 12, 2025 at 9:19 AM
🎉 New Special Issue out in Swiss Political Science Review!
Together with @christinajuen.bsky.social @martingross.bsky.social @simonotjes.bsky.social & Michael Jankowski, I co-edited a collection of articles on party politics at the local level.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/16626370...
🧵👇
Together with @christinajuen.bsky.social @martingross.bsky.social @simonotjes.bsky.social & Michael Jankowski, I co-edited a collection of articles on party politics at the local level.
🔗 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/16626370...
🧵👇
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🧵 New research on what citizens expect from opposition parties in democracy published in @wepsocial.bsky.social. @elinazorina.bsky.social and I surveyed people in Canada, Denmark, Netherlands & UK to understand their views on opposition roles. doi.org/10.1080/0140...
June 9, 2025 at 6:36 PM
🧵 New research on what citizens expect from opposition parties in democracy published in @wepsocial.bsky.social. @elinazorina.bsky.social and I surveyed people in Canada, Denmark, Netherlands & UK to understand their views on opposition roles. doi.org/10.1080/0140...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
I am incredibly proud that my book, co-authored with Andrea Aldrich, is published. Using an original party leadership dataset from 11 parliamentary democracies, Andrea and I show that women candidates face a glass ceiling for leadership and quickly sink once elected (the quicksand theory).
New Cambridge Element 'Glass Ceilings, Glass Cliffs, and Quicksands: Gendered Party Leadership in Parliamentary Systems' by Andrea S. Aldrich & @zeynsom.bsky.social is now free to read for 2 weeks.
cup.org/3HqJXty
#cambridgeelements #politics
cup.org/3HqJXty
#cambridgeelements #politics
June 5, 2025 at 2:09 PM
I am incredibly proud that my book, co-authored with Andrea Aldrich, is published. Using an original party leadership dataset from 11 parliamentary democracies, Andrea and I show that women candidates face a glass ceiling for leadership and quickly sink once elected (the quicksand theory).
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Hey y'all I am hiring a PhD student. Minimal teaching load and many opportunities for more ;)
uol.de/job566en
uol.de/job566en
Research Associate in the field of "Digital Social Science" // University of Oldenburg
uol.de
June 5, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Hey y'all I am hiring a PhD student. Minimal teaching load and many opportunities for more ;)
uol.de/job566en
uol.de/job566en
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🚨 We have two vacancies for PhD fellows:
- on ideological stereotypes supervised by me and
@robindevroe.bsky.social www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
- on losers' consent supervised by @annakern.bsky.social
www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
Join research group @gasparugent.bsky.social in beautiful Ghent
- on ideological stereotypes supervised by me and
@robindevroe.bsky.social www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
- on losers' consent supervised by @annakern.bsky.social
www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
Join research group @gasparugent.bsky.social in beautiful Ghent
June 4, 2025 at 8:17 AM
🚨 We have two vacancies for PhD fellows:
- on ideological stereotypes supervised by me and
@robindevroe.bsky.social www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
- on losers' consent supervised by @annakern.bsky.social
www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
Join research group @gasparugent.bsky.social in beautiful Ghent
- on ideological stereotypes supervised by me and
@robindevroe.bsky.social www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
- on losers' consent supervised by @annakern.bsky.social
www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...
Join research group @gasparugent.bsky.social in beautiful Ghent
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
I'm recruiting 2 PhD researchers to work with me on a project studying how social groups influence vote choices!
Info on the position and how to apply 👉 www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...
Please share with interested students who would like to move to beautiful Leuven!
Info on the position and how to apply 👉 www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...
Please share with interested students who would like to move to beautiful Leuven!
2 PhD positions in Electoral behavior
2 PhD positions to research how social group memberships become connected to vote choices
www.kuleuven.be
June 3, 2025 at 7:35 AM
I'm recruiting 2 PhD researchers to work with me on a project studying how social groups influence vote choices!
Info on the position and how to apply 👉 www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...
Please share with interested students who would like to move to beautiful Leuven!
Info on the position and how to apply 👉 www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo...
Please share with interested students who would like to move to beautiful Leuven!
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
Delighted that this paper with Antwerp colleagues now has page numbers. We show that politicians hold more accurate perceptions about public opinion on issues that they think are important to voters (1/2) journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Politicians are better at estimating public opinion when they think it is more salient - Chris Butler, Stefaan Walgrave, Karolin Soontjens, Peter John Loewen, 2025
Politicians’ perceptions of public opinion matter for substantive representation, but previous work has concluded that they do not have very accurate perception...
journals.sagepub.com
May 27, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Delighted that this paper with Antwerp colleagues now has page numbers. We show that politicians hold more accurate perceptions about public opinion on issues that they think are important to voters (1/2) journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Zeljko Poljak
🚨 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