Benjamin Moffitt
@benmoffitt.bsky.social
Political Scientist @ Monash University | Author of 3 books | Writing about populism, weird reactionary politics & visual politics | he/him
Articles/publications here: https://monash.academia.edu/BenjaminMoffitt
Articles/publications here: https://monash.academia.edu/BenjaminMoffitt
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Benjamin Moffitt
@benmoffitt.bsky.social
· Nov 19
Very honoured (and pleasantly surprised) that The Australian newspaper has named me the top researcher in political science this year!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Journalists covering local politics fall in this trap constantly.
"Back to Basics" and even "The Three Rs: Roads Rates and Rubbish" are used by reactionary and far right actors because that's how they perceive of their own agenda.
"Back to Basics" and even "The Three Rs: Roads Rates and Rubbish" are used by reactionary and far right actors because that's how they perceive of their own agenda.
Despite their diversity, campaigns converged around a shared rhetoric — especially around a “Back to Basics” message.
“Back to Basics” sounds pragmatic.
We argue it often masks reactionary agendas, blurring the boundary between mainstream local governance and fringe politics.
“Back to Basics” sounds pragmatic.
We argue it often masks reactionary agendas, blurring the boundary between mainstream local governance and fringe politics.
January 22, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Journalists covering local politics fall in this trap constantly.
"Back to Basics" and even "The Three Rs: Roads Rates and Rubbish" are used by reactionary and far right actors because that's how they perceive of their own agenda.
"Back to Basics" and even "The Three Rs: Roads Rates and Rubbish" are used by reactionary and far right actors because that's how they perceive of their own agenda.
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
New year and new article out in @ausjpolsci.bsky.social with Mark Chou, Rachel Busbridge & Luke Dean: Mapping the ‘fringe’ in Australian local politics
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
January 12, 2026 at 3:50 AM
New year and new article out in @ausjpolsci.bsky.social with Mark Chou, Rachel Busbridge & Luke Dean: Mapping the ‘fringe’ in Australian local politics
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
New year and new article out in @ausjpolsci.bsky.social with Mark Chou, Rachel Busbridge & Luke Dean: Mapping the ‘fringe’ in Australian local politics
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
January 12, 2026 at 3:50 AM
New year and new article out in @ausjpolsci.bsky.social with Mark Chou, Rachel Busbridge & Luke Dean: Mapping the ‘fringe’ in Australian local politics
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
We provide the first systematic analysis of fringe candidates in the 2024 NSW & VIC local government elections. 🧵
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Radical right parties in Europe have not moderated. Their positions and rhetoric have entered the mainstream. They have become normalized and legitimized. Unless we understand this, we have little chance of countering their success.
In many parts of Europe populist-right parties have moderated as they have grown, shedding unpopular policies and personnel. If anything, the AfD in Germany is growing more radical econ.st/3KSptMm
Illustration: Javier Palma
Illustration: Javier Palma
December 16, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Radical right parties in Europe have not moderated. Their positions and rhetoric have entered the mainstream. They have become normalized and legitimized. Unless we understand this, we have little chance of countering their success.
So I am writing a book on the visual politics of populism, do I need a chapter on fonts now?
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:25 AM
So I am writing a book on the visual politics of populism, do I need a chapter on fonts now?
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Barnaby defecting means One Nation now has 5 parliamentarians which entitles it to minority party status & therefore more resources such as additional offices, postage, international travel benefits, more staffers + potentially a party room at APH #auspol
December 9, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Barnaby defecting means One Nation now has 5 parliamentarians which entitles it to minority party status & therefore more resources such as additional offices, postage, international travel benefits, more staffers + potentially a party room at APH #auspol
This is SUCH a useful article/website/database that I will be using in my teaching & research. Finally a datasource that acknowledges the important fact that not all populist parties clearly fit on the left or the right - so happy to have data on valence, agrarian and regionalist populist parties.
🌳 Thrilled to launch The PopulisTree — a new website covering decades of populism in Europe (both national and European elections) using a new taxonomy and dataset.
🔗 populistree.org
📄 More in my brand new article in European Union Politics:
🔗 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🔗 populistree.org
📄 More in my brand new article in European Union Politics:
🔗 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
December 9, 2025 at 2:17 AM
This is SUCH a useful article/website/database that I will be using in my teaching & research. Finally a datasource that acknowledges the important fact that not all populist parties clearly fit on the left or the right - so happy to have data on valence, agrarian and regionalist populist parties.
This is such a great article - one of those ones you read and go "why hadn't anyone thought of that before?" The method here is just beautiful - using old telephone directories - and is well worth a read. Would be great to add to political science methods courses for how to think outside the box.
🎁 Christmas has come early for @ammassarisofia.bsky.social & me with the publication of our article "The geography of the party on the ground: Local branches in Italy and Sweden in the late twentieth century" in @politicalgeography.bsky.social:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The geography of the party on the ground: Local branches in Italy and Sweden in the late twentieth century
The idea that the presence of Western European political parties at grassroots level rose and fell in the twentieth century is central to some of the …
www.sciencedirect.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:08 AM
This is such a great article - one of those ones you read and go "why hadn't anyone thought of that before?" The method here is just beautiful - using old telephone directories - and is well worth a read. Would be great to add to political science methods courses for how to think outside the box.
A long road for this paper - very happy that 'The Five Spatial Logics of Populism', co-authored with Benjamin de Cleen & Panos Panayotu, will be out in British Journal of Politics & International Relations soon!
December 9, 2025 at 1:58 AM
A long road for this paper - very happy that 'The Five Spatial Logics of Populism', co-authored with Benjamin de Cleen & Panos Panayotu, will be out in British Journal of Politics & International Relations soon!
I don't think this is wrong, so I am less worried about Barnaby himself & ON than the situation that this opens the floodgates and gives "permission" for (more appealing & skilled) others to follow. Imagine ON with someone like Jacinta Price at the helm - could be genuinely competitive.
Just a reminder that Pauline Hanson has fallen out with every ambitious man she has ever worked with other than Ashby, and Barnaby Joyce has fallen out with everyone he's ever met. This is going to be *exquisite*.
December 8, 2025 at 4:18 AM
I don't think this is wrong, so I am less worried about Barnaby himself & ON than the situation that this opens the floodgates and gives "permission" for (more appealing & skilled) others to follow. Imagine ON with someone like Jacinta Price at the helm - could be genuinely competitive.
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
New Review of International Studies article! 🌟
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' by Benjamin Moffitt 📚
Interested? 👉 https://ow.ly/yU2850Xmhtx
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' by Benjamin Moffitt 📚
Interested? 👉 https://ow.ly/yU2850Xmhtx
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR
November 4, 2025 at 9:20 AM
New Review of International Studies article! 🌟
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' by Benjamin Moffitt 📚
Interested? 👉 https://ow.ly/yU2850Xmhtx
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' by Benjamin Moffitt 📚
Interested? 👉 https://ow.ly/yU2850Xmhtx
Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
📣 New publication! The second article of my postdoc project on the far right and anti-gender mobilization is now out #openaccess in #GermanPolitics doi.org/10.1080/0964...
It examines antifeminism in far-right party politics through the case of AfD
Key findings:
Antifeminism ✅
Radicalization ✅
It examines antifeminism in far-right party politics through the case of AfD
Key findings:
Antifeminism ✅
Radicalization ✅
November 26, 2025 at 3:19 PM
📣 New publication! The second article of my postdoc project on the far right and anti-gender mobilization is now out #openaccess in #GermanPolitics doi.org/10.1080/0964...
It examines antifeminism in far-right party politics through the case of AfD
Key findings:
Antifeminism ✅
Radicalization ✅
It examines antifeminism in far-right party politics through the case of AfD
Key findings:
Antifeminism ✅
Radicalization ✅
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Also coming very soon (i.e. in 4 hours), I'll be speaking on this AusPSA panel on populism, with a star cast of @ammassarisofia.bsky.social, Rachel Busbridge, @benmoffitt.bsky.social (and me).
If I can somehow manage to have a nap before then, I'll be the happiest person in Melbourne.
If I can somehow manage to have a nap before then, I'll be the happiest person in Melbourne.
November 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Also coming very soon (i.e. in 4 hours), I'll be speaking on this AusPSA panel on populism, with a star cast of @ammassarisofia.bsky.social, Rachel Busbridge, @benmoffitt.bsky.social (and me).
If I can somehow manage to have a nap before then, I'll be the happiest person in Melbourne.
If I can somehow manage to have a nap before then, I'll be the happiest person in Melbourne.
Very proud of my colleagues @blairwilliams26.bsky.social & @lachlanmcnamee.bsky.social on their DECRA success today! It's such a slog to put together these massive applications - so am so happy for them and excited to see what they do with their coming 3 years!
November 25, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Very proud of my colleagues @blairwilliams26.bsky.social & @lachlanmcnamee.bsky.social on their DECRA success today! It's such a slog to put together these massive applications - so am so happy for them and excited to see what they do with their coming 3 years!
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Very honoured (and pleasantly surprised) that The Australian newspaper has named me the top researcher in political science this year!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
November 19, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Very honoured (and pleasantly surprised) that The Australian newspaper has named me the top researcher in political science this year!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
Very honoured (and pleasantly surprised) that The Australian newspaper has named me the top researcher in political science this year!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
November 19, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Very honoured (and pleasantly surprised) that The Australian newspaper has named me the top researcher in political science this year!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
The measure is based on citation over a 5 year period in the top 20 journals in each discipline - I'm in very good company in the list of social scientists below!
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Having won this last year, there are few people I'd be happier to see take the title than Ben Moffitt - a truly world-class researcher and a nice guy too!
Rather gobsmacked & honoured to find that I have been named Australia's top researcher in political science by The Australian!
www.theaustralian.com.au/special-repo...
www.theaustralian.com.au/special-repo...
www.theaustralian.com.au
November 18, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Having won this last year, there are few people I'd be happier to see take the title than Ben Moffitt - a truly world-class researcher and a nice guy too!
Rather gobsmacked & honoured to find that I have been named Australia's top researcher in political science by The Australian!
www.theaustralian.com.au/special-repo...
www.theaustralian.com.au/special-repo...
www.theaustralian.com.au
November 18, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Rather gobsmacked & honoured to find that I have been named Australia's top researcher in political science by The Australian!
www.theaustralian.com.au/special-repo...
www.theaustralian.com.au/special-repo...
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
More evidence that “crisis” is performed and that “populists” are particularly apt at performing “crisis”, as @benmoffitt.bsky.social has argued forcefully.
🤔 Illiberal policy frames? Turns out it’s fear-mongering, not crisis-driven
👥 @miklossebok.bsky.social, @buzogany.bsky.social, @juliafleischer.bsky.social, @gessler.bsky.social, Anna Takács, @seanmtheriault.bsky.social & Ákos Holányi
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
👥 @miklossebok.bsky.social, @buzogany.bsky.social, @juliafleischer.bsky.social, @gessler.bsky.social, Anna Takács, @seanmtheriault.bsky.social & Ákos Holányi
🔗 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Crisis-exploitation or fear-mongering? A research agenda for the comparative study of policy crises and illiberal policy frames
The pervasive and growing illiberal movement is, perhaps, the greatest global challenge to liberal democracy today. Scholars argue that domestic and international crises have played an important ro...
www.tandfonline.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:35 PM
More evidence that “crisis” is performed and that “populists” are particularly apt at performing “crisis”, as @benmoffitt.bsky.social has argued forcefully.
From actual serious academic to some kind of Temu Charlie Kirk. What a journey.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform UK accused of embracing racism over its pick for head of student organisation
Matthew Goodwin argued people from minority ethnic backgrounds born and raised in UK were not always British
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:33 AM
From actual serious academic to some kind of Temu Charlie Kirk. What a journey.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
The Trump x Insane Clown Posse crossover we've all been waiting for
November 11, 2025 at 1:28 AM
The Trump x Insane Clown Posse crossover we've all been waiting for
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
🎆 NEW OA ARTICLE ALERT 🎆
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots | Review of International Studies | Cambridge Core
Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots
www.cambridge.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:22 AM
🎆 NEW OA ARTICLE ALERT 🎆
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
🎆 NEW OA ARTICLE ALERT 🎆
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots | Review of International Studies | Cambridge Core
Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots
www.cambridge.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:22 AM
🎆 NEW OA ARTICLE ALERT 🎆
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
'Populism, visual technologies, and the self-mediation of ‘the people’ from the 2002 Venezuelan coup to the 2021 US Capitol riots' in @risjnl.bsky.social
How do populist publics visually represent themselves & how have shifts in visual technologies altered this process?
Reposted by Benjamin Moffitt
Anthoula Malkopoulou and @benmoffitt.bsky.social ask - how should we respond to #populism? - arguing for responses to it to contain populism’s most egregious characteristics while salvaging its productive side.
@compeurpol.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@compeurpol.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
How not to respond to populism - Comparative European Politics
Although the nature and definition of populism are a source of considerable disagreement, there seems to be a minimal consensus by now that populism poses a number of threats to liberal democracy, and...
link.springer.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Anthoula Malkopoulou and @benmoffitt.bsky.social ask - how should we respond to #populism? - arguing for responses to it to contain populism’s most egregious characteristics while salvaging its productive side.
@compeurpol.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@compeurpol.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Jeez it's good when you see great work from great people getting funded (part 2). Some of the best & kindest mentors in Australian political science w/ some of sharpest ECRs in the game. Congrats @kurtsengul.bsky.social & the team!
Feeling incredibly lucky and privileged to be part of a successful ARC Discovery Project application ❤️
‘Foreign conflicts, domestic divides: Advancing a deliberative response’
‘Foreign conflicts, domestic divides: Advancing a deliberative response’
October 28, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Jeez it's good when you see great work from great people getting funded (part 2). Some of the best & kindest mentors in Australian political science w/ some of sharpest ECRs in the game. Congrats @kurtsengul.bsky.social & the team!