Kevin Walz
@kwalz.bsky.social
Political Scientist and PostDoc Researcher @JGU Mainz | Studying Democracy, its Erosion, and what we can do about it | https://kwalz91.github.io/
Pinned
Kevin Walz
@kwalz.bsky.social
· Jan 8
Happy to see this piece out in ZfVP🥳 Democratic resilience is a widely discussed topic, but the concept still shows some shortcomings. @lionmert.bsky.social, @matthiasrosenthal.bsky.social, Jana Niedringhaus, Johannes Helgest, and I address these systematically. A🧵:
doi.org/10.1007/s122...
doi.org/10.1007/s122...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
It was a very special day when my book arrived, and I got to open the package with my family :)
Constitutional Change under Autocracy explores how autocrats use constitutional amendments not as mere legal tweaks, but as strategic tools.
Constitutional Change under Autocracy explores how autocrats use constitutional amendments not as mere legal tweaks, but as strategic tools.
January 23, 2026 at 12:23 PM
It was a very special day when my book arrived, and I got to open the package with my family :)
Constitutional Change under Autocracy explores how autocrats use constitutional amendments not as mere legal tweaks, but as strategic tools.
Constitutional Change under Autocracy explores how autocrats use constitutional amendments not as mere legal tweaks, but as strategic tools.
Reposted by Kevin Walz
By way of preparing for teaching and making sense of current events, I spent today trying to synthesise the demand-side literature on democratic backsliding (see figure below). The starting point of most of this literature is simple: Do voters punish politicians who violate democratic norms, or do
January 2, 2026 at 9:22 PM
By way of preparing for teaching and making sense of current events, I spent today trying to synthesise the demand-side literature on democratic backsliding (see figure below). The starting point of most of this literature is simple: Do voters punish politicians who violate democratic norms, or do
Reposted by Kevin Walz
🎧 JETZT REINHÖREN: #Forschungspodcast #MindsOfMainz – #DerGutenbergTalk | Folge 28: Demokratie im Fokus: Warum Politische Theorie heute die Gesellschaft bewegt | mit Prof. Claudia Landwehr 👉 www.magazin.uni-mainz.de/minds-of-main…#Demokratiei#Politikwissenschaftf#PolitischeTheorieie
December 6, 2025 at 12:03 PM
🎧 JETZT REINHÖREN: #Forschungspodcast #MindsOfMainz – #DerGutenbergTalk | Folge 28: Demokratie im Fokus: Warum Politische Theorie heute die Gesellschaft bewegt | mit Prof. Claudia Landwehr 👉 www.magazin.uni-mainz.de/minds-of-main…#Demokratiei#Politikwissenschaftf#PolitischeTheorieie
Reposted by Kevin Walz
📢📢 Happy to announce a new update to the PPEG database!
The data now covers
- > 3.000 parties
- 1.100 parliamentary elections
- 402 presidential elections
- 2.044 cabinets
across 73 countries (1945 - 2025, Oct 31).
All info: ppeg.wzb.eu
We hope that data is helpful to the community!
The data now covers
- > 3.000 parties
- 1.100 parliamentary elections
- 402 presidential elections
- 2.044 cabinets
across 73 countries (1945 - 2025, Oct 31).
All info: ppeg.wzb.eu
We hope that data is helpful to the community!
December 3, 2025 at 1:16 PM
📢📢 Happy to announce a new update to the PPEG database!
The data now covers
- > 3.000 parties
- 1.100 parliamentary elections
- 402 presidential elections
- 2.044 cabinets
across 73 countries (1945 - 2025, Oct 31).
All info: ppeg.wzb.eu
We hope that data is helpful to the community!
The data now covers
- > 3.000 parties
- 1.100 parliamentary elections
- 402 presidential elections
- 2.044 cabinets
across 73 countries (1945 - 2025, Oct 31).
All info: ppeg.wzb.eu
We hope that data is helpful to the community!
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Join us! Die Abteilung für Innenpolitik & Politische Soziologie sucht zum 01.04. eine*n neue*n Kollegin*en. Wir bieten: volle Promotionsstelle (EG13) für drei Jahre (Verlängerung um 3 Jahre möglich), flexible Arbeitszeitregelungen, kollegiales & forschungsstarkes Team. Mehr Informationen hier👇
stellenboerse.uni-mainz.de
December 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Join us! Die Abteilung für Innenpolitik & Politische Soziologie sucht zum 01.04. eine*n neue*n Kollegin*en. Wir bieten: volle Promotionsstelle (EG13) für drei Jahre (Verlängerung um 3 Jahre möglich), flexible Arbeitszeitregelungen, kollegiales & forschungsstarkes Team. Mehr Informationen hier👇
Reposted by Kevin Walz
We're looking for a colleague (postdoc) 📢 @politikuhh.bsky.social
3+3 years
Doing your own research while teaching 2.5 courses per semester
Research agenda with links to our team (democracy, digital politics, political competition/behaviour)
DL 🗓️ 05/01
stellen.uni-hamburg.de/jobposting/6...
3+3 years
Doing your own research while teaching 2.5 courses per semester
Research agenda with links to our team (democracy, digital politics, political competition/behaviour)
DL 🗓️ 05/01
stellen.uni-hamburg.de/jobposting/6...
Research Associate (Postdoc) Political Science § 28 Subsection 2 HmbHG
stellen.uni-hamburg.de
December 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
We're looking for a colleague (postdoc) 📢 @politikuhh.bsky.social
3+3 years
Doing your own research while teaching 2.5 courses per semester
Research agenda with links to our team (democracy, digital politics, political competition/behaviour)
DL 🗓️ 05/01
stellen.uni-hamburg.de/jobposting/6...
3+3 years
Doing your own research while teaching 2.5 courses per semester
Research agenda with links to our team (democracy, digital politics, political competition/behaviour)
DL 🗓️ 05/01
stellen.uni-hamburg.de/jobposting/6...
Now also with page numbers: In this article published in ZfVP, I reconstruct the concept of anti-pluralism and examine why, from a theory-conceptual perspective, it is particularly well suited to identify potential autocratizers 👉
doi.org/10.1007/s122...
doi.org/10.1007/s122...
What is anti-pluralism? - Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
In recent years, the issue of possible early warning signs for democratic regression has become increasingly relevant. In this regard, the focus is often on how democracy-threatening actors can be ide...
doi.org
December 1, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Now also with page numbers: In this article published in ZfVP, I reconstruct the concept of anti-pluralism and examine why, from a theory-conceptual perspective, it is particularly well suited to identify potential autocratizers 👉
doi.org/10.1007/s122...
doi.org/10.1007/s122...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
@sonjapriebus.bsky.social Aleksandra Maatsch& me are organizing a workshop on 'Opposing challenges to democracy across contexts' in Frankfurt (Oder) 26-27 March 2026.
Do you have a paper that might fit? ➡️Call for Papers (📆Deadline: 05/12)
www.dvpw.de/informatione...
Do you have a paper that might fit? ➡️Call for Papers (📆Deadline: 05/12)
www.dvpw.de/informatione...
November 28, 2025 at 4:09 PM
@sonjapriebus.bsky.social Aleksandra Maatsch& me are organizing a workshop on 'Opposing challenges to democracy across contexts' in Frankfurt (Oder) 26-27 March 2026.
Do you have a paper that might fit? ➡️Call for Papers (📆Deadline: 05/12)
www.dvpw.de/informatione...
Do you have a paper that might fit? ➡️Call for Papers (📆Deadline: 05/12)
www.dvpw.de/informatione...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Pretty excited to share this. We worked on a monster for the past year, getting LLMs (AI, those ChatGPT kinds of things) to qualitatively code the levels of populism in political speeches with holistic grading. Enjoy. populism.byu.edu/large-langua...
Large Language Model Prompt
<b>Citation Requirement Statement</b><br/> <br/>This code and accompanying prompt design were developed by Eduardo Ryô Tamaki and Yujin J. Jung, with additional contributions from the broader project ...
populism.byu.edu
November 21, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Pretty excited to share this. We worked on a monster for the past year, getting LLMs (AI, those ChatGPT kinds of things) to qualitatively code the levels of populism in political speeches with holistic grading. Enjoy. populism.byu.edu/large-langua...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Together with @kenbenoit.bsky.social we offer a hands-on workshop on @instats.bsky.social for qualitative researchers to use LLMs for annotating texts, images, audio, etc. without requiring deep programming skills but with the full flexibility and fun of R.
instats.org/seminar/ai-p...
instats.org/seminar/ai-p...
AI-Powered Qualitative Analysis in R - Livestreamed Research Training | Instats
PhD-level seminar on AI-Powered Qualitative Analysis in R with Kenneth Benoit & Seraphine Maerz . Live Q&A plus on‑demand access. Join via your university’s Instats membership or enroll directly.
instats.org
November 13, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Together with @kenbenoit.bsky.social we offer a hands-on workshop on @instats.bsky.social for qualitative researchers to use LLMs for annotating texts, images, audio, etc. without requiring deep programming skills but with the full flexibility and fun of R.
instats.org/seminar/ai-p...
instats.org/seminar/ai-p...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
New article out in @polstudies.bsky.social!
Why do opposition parties in authoritarian regimes so often fail to coordinate, even when unity could help them win?
doi.org/10.1177/0032...
In this article, we highlight two overlooked drivers of opposition fragmentation 🧵
Why do opposition parties in authoritarian regimes so often fail to coordinate, even when unity could help them win?
doi.org/10.1177/0032...
In this article, we highlight two overlooked drivers of opposition fragmentation 🧵
November 13, 2025 at 10:42 AM
New article out in @polstudies.bsky.social!
Why do opposition parties in authoritarian regimes so often fail to coordinate, even when unity could help them win?
doi.org/10.1177/0032...
In this article, we highlight two overlooked drivers of opposition fragmentation 🧵
Why do opposition parties in authoritarian regimes so often fail to coordinate, even when unity could help them win?
doi.org/10.1177/0032...
In this article, we highlight two overlooked drivers of opposition fragmentation 🧵
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Are you conducting research combining qualitative cross-case methods (comparative case studies or QCA) with process tracing? ➡️ ** We are looking to show-case your work** ⬅️
🧵 1/
🧵 1/
November 11, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Are you conducting research combining qualitative cross-case methods (comparative case studies or QCA) with process tracing? ➡️ ** We are looking to show-case your work** ⬅️
🧵 1/
🧵 1/
Reposted by Kevin Walz
🚨 Job alert! 🚨
(English in comment)
An meinem Lehrbereich ist zum 1.2.26 eine Postdoc-Stelle (100%) zu besetzen. Gesucht wird ein*e Kandidat*in mit Kenntnissen in quantitativen Methoden sowie Expertise in einschlägigen Themenbereichen. Mehr hier: www.verwaltung.uni-halle.de/dezern3/Auss...
(English in comment)
An meinem Lehrbereich ist zum 1.2.26 eine Postdoc-Stelle (100%) zu besetzen. Gesucht wird ein*e Kandidat*in mit Kenntnissen in quantitativen Methoden sowie Expertise in einschlägigen Themenbereichen. Mehr hier: www.verwaltung.uni-halle.de/dezern3/Auss...
www.verwaltung.uni-halle.de
October 30, 2025 at 1:52 PM
🚨 Job alert! 🚨
(English in comment)
An meinem Lehrbereich ist zum 1.2.26 eine Postdoc-Stelle (100%) zu besetzen. Gesucht wird ein*e Kandidat*in mit Kenntnissen in quantitativen Methoden sowie Expertise in einschlägigen Themenbereichen. Mehr hier: www.verwaltung.uni-halle.de/dezern3/Auss...
(English in comment)
An meinem Lehrbereich ist zum 1.2.26 eine Postdoc-Stelle (100%) zu besetzen. Gesucht wird ein*e Kandidat*in mit Kenntnissen in quantitativen Methoden sowie Expertise in einschlägigen Themenbereichen. Mehr hier: www.verwaltung.uni-halle.de/dezern3/Auss...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Very proud of my PhD student @kwalz.bsky.social who successfully defended his thesis on "Pathways to breakdown resilience" today and is now Dr. (des.) Kevin Walz 🎉
Watch out for his book to learn how accountability can stop autocratization!
In Picture: Kevin🧑🎓, Natasha Wunsch, 2nd supervisor and me 😀
Watch out for his book to learn how accountability can stop autocratization!
In Picture: Kevin🧑🎓, Natasha Wunsch, 2nd supervisor and me 😀
October 30, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Very proud of my PhD student @kwalz.bsky.social who successfully defended his thesis on "Pathways to breakdown resilience" today and is now Dr. (des.) Kevin Walz 🎉
Watch out for his book to learn how accountability can stop autocratization!
In Picture: Kevin🧑🎓, Natasha Wunsch, 2nd supervisor and me 😀
Watch out for his book to learn how accountability can stop autocratization!
In Picture: Kevin🧑🎓, Natasha Wunsch, 2nd supervisor and me 😀
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Heute um 16 Uhr begrüßen wir Natasha Wunsch (Université de Fribourg) in unserer #Forschungswerkstatt.
Das Thema ist wirklich spannend: "Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backsliding".
Alle sind herzlich willkommen!
Das Thema ist wirklich spannend: "Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backsliding".
Alle sind herzlich willkommen!
October 29, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Heute um 16 Uhr begrüßen wir Natasha Wunsch (Université de Fribourg) in unserer #Forschungswerkstatt.
Das Thema ist wirklich spannend: "Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backsliding".
Alle sind herzlich willkommen!
Das Thema ist wirklich spannend: "Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backsliding".
Alle sind herzlich willkommen!
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Diesen Mittwoch in der Forschungswerkstatt Politikwissenschaft @powimz.bsky.social : Nathasha Wunsch stellt ihr neues Buch vor! 16 Uhr in P5 - wir freuen uns schon 🎉
October 27, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Diesen Mittwoch in der Forschungswerkstatt Politikwissenschaft @powimz.bsky.social : Nathasha Wunsch stellt ihr neues Buch vor! 16 Uhr in P5 - wir freuen uns schon 🎉
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Im Rahmen unserer Forschungswerkstatt bieten wir im Wintersemester 2025/26 wieder ein spannendes Programm zu verschiedenen Themen an. Wie immer gilt: alle sind herzlich willkommen!
October 24, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Im Rahmen unserer Forschungswerkstatt bieten wir im Wintersemester 2025/26 wieder ein spannendes Programm zu verschiedenen Themen an. Wie immer gilt: alle sind herzlich willkommen!
Reposted by Kevin Walz
📢Can free academia withstand democratic backsliding? Why some universities wither while others survive. Read the recently published article in #ISPR. Together with Katrin Kinzelbach and @silindberg.bsky.social (Open Access): doi.org/10.1177/0192...
October 20, 2025 at 12:06 PM
📢Can free academia withstand democratic backsliding? Why some universities wither while others survive. Read the recently published article in #ISPR. Together with Katrin Kinzelbach and @silindberg.bsky.social (Open Access): doi.org/10.1177/0192...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Application period for New Europe College (Bucharest) fellowships in humanities and social sciences:
nec.ro/fellowships/...
Especially if you recently got your PhD and are looking for a 1-year fellowship it is a wonderful place to work, with a scholarship that will completely cover expenses here
nec.ro/fellowships/...
Especially if you recently got your PhD and are looking for a 1-year fellowship it is a wonderful place to work, with a scholarship that will completely cover expenses here
Apply for a fellowship : NEC
NEC Institute for Advanced Study
nec.ro
October 16, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Application period for New Europe College (Bucharest) fellowships in humanities and social sciences:
nec.ro/fellowships/...
Especially if you recently got your PhD and are looking for a 1-year fellowship it is a wonderful place to work, with a scholarship that will completely cover expenses here
nec.ro/fellowships/...
Especially if you recently got your PhD and are looking for a 1-year fellowship it is a wonderful place to work, with a scholarship that will completely cover expenses here
Reposted by Kevin Walz
@liampert.bsky.social, @mattgrossmann.bsky.social, and I are thrilled to launch SenateData, a new repository pertaining to the US Senate. We have variables on facets like bills, and members, including original data on senator characteristics and an associated R package. github.com/IPPSR/Senate...
GitHub - IPPSR/SenateData: SenateData: A Functional Tool for the SenateData Dataset
SenateData: A Functional Tool for the SenateData Dataset - IPPSR/SenateData
github.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:19 PM
@liampert.bsky.social, @mattgrossmann.bsky.social, and I are thrilled to launch SenateData, a new repository pertaining to the US Senate. We have variables on facets like bills, and members, including original data on senator characteristics and an associated R package. github.com/IPPSR/Senate...
Reposted by Kevin Walz
#CfP: Call for panels for the Second International Congress for Political Theory in Germany.
The #TheoryCongress will take place from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the University of #Passau.
Proposals for panels can be submitted until 6 November.
The #TheoryCongress will take place from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the University of #Passau.
Proposals for panels can be submitted until 6 November.
October 13, 2025 at 3:12 PM
#CfP: Call for panels for the Second International Congress for Political Theory in Germany.
The #TheoryCongress will take place from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the University of #Passau.
Proposals for panels can be submitted until 6 November.
The #TheoryCongress will take place from 5 to 7 October 2026 at the University of #Passau.
Proposals for panels can be submitted until 6 November.
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Party leaders often face a tough choice: should they join forces with other parties in pre-electoral coalitions or run alone? The stakes are even higher when opposition parties try to unseat an authoritarian incumbent.
October 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Party leaders often face a tough choice: should they join forces with other parties in pre-electoral coalitions or run alone? The stakes are even higher when opposition parties try to unseat an authoritarian incumbent.
Reposted by Kevin Walz
Exciting lineup for our (@powimz.bsky.social) research colloquia—the Forschungswerkstatt and the Democracy Seminar—this coming winter semester! I’m looking forward to welcoming many great guests and hearing from my colleagues.
October 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Exciting lineup for our (@powimz.bsky.social) research colloquia—the Forschungswerkstatt and the Democracy Seminar—this coming winter semester! I’m looking forward to welcoming many great guests and hearing from my colleagues.
Reposted by Kevin Walz
They say: once there’s a paper 📝, it’s real…
🎉 #MEDem in #EPS @ecpr.bsky.social
The paper outlines how MEDem will strengthen #OpenScience by making data #FAIR in #DemocracyResearch – and how scholars across Europe are joining forces to build a truly open #ResearchInfrastructure ⚙️
🎉 #MEDem in #EPS @ecpr.bsky.social
The paper outlines how MEDem will strengthen #OpenScience by making data #FAIR in #DemocracyResearch – and how scholars across Europe are joining forces to build a truly open #ResearchInfrastructure ⚙️
September 27, 2025 at 9:05 AM
They say: once there’s a paper 📝, it’s real…
🎉 #MEDem in #EPS @ecpr.bsky.social
The paper outlines how MEDem will strengthen #OpenScience by making data #FAIR in #DemocracyResearch – and how scholars across Europe are joining forces to build a truly open #ResearchInfrastructure ⚙️
🎉 #MEDem in #EPS @ecpr.bsky.social
The paper outlines how MEDem will strengthen #OpenScience by making data #FAIR in #DemocracyResearch – and how scholars across Europe are joining forces to build a truly open #ResearchInfrastructure ⚙️
Reposted by Kevin Walz
It was a true honor to talk to legendary political scientist Adam Przeworski about how he understands the present crisis, what he learned from Chile and Poland, and how to move forward from here www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...
How Democracies Fall Apart - Dissent Magazine
An interview with Adam Przeworski.
www.dissentmagazine.org
September 26, 2025 at 10:45 PM
It was a true honor to talk to legendary political scientist Adam Przeworski about how he understands the present crisis, what he learned from Chile and Poland, and how to move forward from here www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...