Linus Westheuser
@lwestheuser.bsky.social
Political sociologist・Senior Researcher at a new Max Planck Institute for the study of politics and society in Göttingen・Class, morality, cleavage politics・🔗 linuswestheuser.com
Pinned
OK, a🧵: Our new paper studies workers' political consciousness in times of class demobilization.
We show there's more to workers' politics than right-wing resentment. Listening to workers, we reconstruct their moral critiques of money, power & recognition.
Link journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
We show there's more to workers' politics than right-wing resentment. Listening to workers, we reconstruct their moral critiques of money, power & recognition.
Link journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
I think my argument based on this is that what's unique in America is not the divide but the propaganda and the efficiency with which it's delivered.
...this analysis showing that few voters actually fit into the conventional boxes of partisanship, and that a large share of "moderates" are actually non-ideologues (similar to the points made by @nathankalmoe.bsky.social and others), www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
The hidden axis: the left-right spectrum has a non-ideology problem
Most voters want a party that emphasizes cost of living issues and makes the world a better place. Few Americans think in solidly ideologically terms. "Moderates" are mostly non-ideological.
www.gelliottmorris.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:21 PM
I think my argument based on this is that what's unique in America is not the divide but the propaganda and the efficiency with which it's delivered.
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
good 🧵; among other things, it is important to recognize that polarization, sorting, and dimensional alignment are more pronounced among elites and the most engaged segment of the mass public than the rest of the population -- we often generalize too much from the former to the latter.
The US is often seen as an extreme case where polarization erodes democracy bc partisanship now permeates all everyday sociability and affects. But this is now being contradicted by a whole number of studies. Besides the really interesting new work by @jonadejong.bsky.social, there is... (quick 🧵)
Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships.
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
February 4, 2026 at 2:41 PM
good 🧵; among other things, it is important to recognize that polarization, sorting, and dimensional alignment are more pronounced among elites and the most engaged segment of the mass public than the rest of the population -- we often generalize too much from the former to the latter.
Second, we can look at the much more contradictory, less neatly aligned ways in which political reasoning, group identities, etc. *actually* play out in everyday life. This needs qual methods, as Koen Damhuis and I propose in this paper (on European cases): www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Cleavage politics in ordinary reasoning: How common sense divides
This study explores how the ideological divide between the radical right and liberal left is anchored in the common sense reasoning of ordinary citizens. Across Western Europe, cleavage research ha...
www.tandfonline.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Second, we can look at the much more contradictory, less neatly aligned ways in which political reasoning, group identities, etc. *actually* play out in everyday life. This needs qual methods, as Koen Damhuis and I propose in this paper (on European cases): www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
First, we can move the attention towards the elite "polarization entrepreneurs" in politics and the media who manufacture divides, among others by creating the false image of a deeply divided society. As e.g. here: www.cambridge.org/core/books/f...
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
First, we can move the attention towards the elite "polarization entrepreneurs" in politics and the media who manufacture divides, among others by creating the false image of a deeply divided society. As e.g. here: www.cambridge.org/core/books/f...
It feels like a whole folk theory about political and social divides which formed in the wake of 2016's 'Trump shock' is falling apart. That theory diagnosed an overpoliticization of everyday life as the core problem. It seems like this is false. I think research can move on in (at least) two ways:
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
It feels like a whole folk theory about political and social divides which formed in the wake of 2016's 'Trump shock' is falling apart. That theory diagnosed an overpoliticization of everyday life as the core problem. It seems like this is false. I think research can move on in (at least) two ways:
...or this older piece showing that affective polarization does not (necessarily) erode support for democratic norms: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajps.12719
American Journal of Political Science | MPSA Journal | Wiley Online Library
Scholars warn that affective polarization undermines democratic norms and accountability. They speculate that if citizens were less affectively polarized, they would be less likely to endorse norm vi...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
...or this older piece showing that affective polarization does not (necessarily) erode support for democratic norms: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajps.12719
...this analysis showing that few voters actually fit into the conventional boxes of partisanship, and that a large share of "moderates" are actually non-ideologues (similar to the points made by @nathankalmoe.bsky.social and others), www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
The hidden axis: the left-right spectrum has a non-ideology problem
Most voters want a party that emphasizes cost of living issues and makes the world a better place. Few Americans think in solidly ideologically terms. "Moderates" are mostly non-ideological.
www.gelliottmorris.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
...this analysis showing that few voters actually fit into the conventional boxes of partisanship, and that a large share of "moderates" are actually non-ideologues (similar to the points made by @nathankalmoe.bsky.social and others), www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
... this recent study showing very low levels of ideological polarization in the US population,
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reassessing Extremism, Polarization, and Constraint with Continuous Policy Questions - Political Behavior
Some argue that the American public is extreme and polarized along party lines. Paradoxically, others argue that members of the public lack meaningful policy preferences and exhibit low constraint acr...
link.springer.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
... this recent study showing very low levels of ideological polarization in the US population,
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The US is often seen as an extreme case where polarization erodes democracy bc partisanship now permeates all everyday sociability and affects. But this is now being contradicted by a whole number of studies. Besides the really interesting new work by @jonadejong.bsky.social, there is... (quick 🧵)
Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships.
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
February 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
The US is often seen as an extreme case where polarization erodes democracy bc partisanship now permeates all everyday sociability and affects. But this is now being contradicted by a whole number of studies. Besides the really interesting new work by @jonadejong.bsky.social, there is... (quick 🧵)
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships.
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
February 2, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships.
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
osf.io/preprints/so...
1/15
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Founders of modern paleontology, and their contributions to systemic racism, classism and sexism (🧵)
Henry Osborn (1857–1935), responsible for naming of Tyrannosaurus & Velociraptor; president of ANHM.
Co-founder of the American Eugenics Society. Contributing to books later praised by Hitler.
Henry Osborn (1857–1935), responsible for naming of Tyrannosaurus & Velociraptor; president of ANHM.
Co-founder of the American Eugenics Society. Contributing to books later praised by Hitler.
February 2, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Founders of modern paleontology, and their contributions to systemic racism, classism and sexism (🧵)
Henry Osborn (1857–1935), responsible for naming of Tyrannosaurus & Velociraptor; president of ANHM.
Co-founder of the American Eugenics Society. Contributing to books later praised by Hitler.
Henry Osborn (1857–1935), responsible for naming of Tyrannosaurus & Velociraptor; president of ANHM.
Co-founder of the American Eugenics Society. Contributing to books later praised by Hitler.
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
ich habe mit alyssa battistoni über ihr tolles buch "free gifts: capitalism and the politics of nature" gesprochen und es hat sehr viel spaß gemacht (free link)
www.zeit.de/kultur/2026-...
www.zeit.de/kultur/2026-...
Klimawandel und Kapitalismus: "Niemand sagt: Ich zerstöre den Planeten, weil ich Lust dazu habe"
Alyssa Battistoni will Natur nicht länger als Gratisgeschenk betrachten. Aber lässt der Kapitalismus eine Wahl? Hier erklärt sie, ob wir seiner Logik entkommen können.
www.zeit.de
February 3, 2026 at 8:02 PM
ich habe mit alyssa battistoni über ihr tolles buch "free gifts: capitalism and the politics of nature" gesprochen und es hat sehr viel spaß gemacht (free link)
www.zeit.de/kultur/2026-...
www.zeit.de/kultur/2026-...
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Yeah I will say I spent a a lot of my life thinking I was being a sophisticated Marxist by condemning vulgar tendencies which saw particular capitalists and members of the ruling class as evil and the problem. No no, I would say, it is the system! Well, ok, maybe: but also they are evil turns out.
My favorite genre of Epstein emails are powerful people emailing WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN about how MeToo has gone too far and the woke mob must be stopped.
February 4, 2026 at 6:36 AM
Yeah I will say I spent a a lot of my life thinking I was being a sophisticated Marxist by condemning vulgar tendencies which saw particular capitalists and members of the ruling class as evil and the problem. No no, I would say, it is the system! Well, ok, maybe: but also they are evil turns out.
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
„We then tested whether increases in hip-hop penetration were linked to changes in crime—and whether people exposed to more hip hop in their formative years experienced worse outcomes in education, employment, earnings, teen births and single parenthood.“ 📻
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
The economics of hip hop - Marginal REVOLUTION
In a TED Talk released on Monday, I describe a decadelong effort to measure hip hop’s impact. My research team and I assembled a data set tracking the genre’s diffusion from the late 1980s onward. We ...
marginalrevolution.com
February 4, 2026 at 7:42 AM
„We then tested whether increases in hip-hop penetration were linked to changes in crime—and whether people exposed to more hip hop in their formative years experienced worse outcomes in education, employment, earnings, teen births and single parenthood.“ 📻
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Marcel Proust after eating a tiny little cake
December 27, 2024 at 9:50 PM
Marcel Proust after eating a tiny little cake
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
2025 war ein Wahnsinnsjahr für die deutschen Milliardäre:
Ihr Vermögen wuchs mit 30 % fast doppelt (!) so schnell, wie das Vermögen des Globalen Durchschnittsmilliardärs mit 16 %.
Dieses Wachstum ist absurd gefährlich, weil es die Ungleichheitskrise weiter verschärft.
Ihr Vermögen wuchs mit 30 % fast doppelt (!) so schnell, wie das Vermögen des Globalen Durchschnittsmilliardärs mit 16 %.
Dieses Wachstum ist absurd gefährlich, weil es die Ungleichheitskrise weiter verschärft.
January 19, 2026 at 7:43 AM
2025 war ein Wahnsinnsjahr für die deutschen Milliardäre:
Ihr Vermögen wuchs mit 30 % fast doppelt (!) so schnell, wie das Vermögen des Globalen Durchschnittsmilliardärs mit 16 %.
Dieses Wachstum ist absurd gefährlich, weil es die Ungleichheitskrise weiter verschärft.
Ihr Vermögen wuchs mit 30 % fast doppelt (!) so schnell, wie das Vermögen des Globalen Durchschnittsmilliardärs mit 16 %.
Dieses Wachstum ist absurd gefährlich, weil es die Ungleichheitskrise weiter verschärft.
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Spain's constitution promises democracy at work. Last year, @yolandadiaz.bsky.social convened an expert group to study how to make good on that promise.
Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2
Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2
February 3, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Spain's constitution promises democracy at work. Last year, @yolandadiaz.bsky.social convened an expert group to study how to make good on that promise.
Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2
Lead by @isabelleferreras.bsky.social, we have delivered what is, we think, the highest-level 400-page report on economic democracy out there. 1/2
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
A war rages in the Democratic consulting class about whether Dems should go "moderate" or "progressive" in 26 and 28. @gelliottmorris.com argues that most voters are not ideologically moderate, they are disengaged. I found similar results from 2024, which he discusses in this post.
More evidence that a large share of "moderates" are non-ideologues
A reader replicated my analysis of political ideology using alternative data
www.gelliottmorris.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:26 PM
A war rages in the Democratic consulting class about whether Dems should go "moderate" or "progressive" in 26 and 28. @gelliottmorris.com argues that most voters are not ideologically moderate, they are disengaged. I found similar results from 2024, which he discusses in this post.
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
This is an excellent, accessible, if long, piece by @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social & @adambonica.bsky.social. Drawing on scientific evidence and ground-truth logic, they dismantle calls for Democratic moderation and prescribe a path that is pragmatic and courageous.
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism
Moderation used to help Democrats win, but its advantages now have been greatly exaggerated.
www.bostonreview.net
February 3, 2026 at 3:14 PM
This is an excellent, accessible, if long, piece by @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social & @adambonica.bsky.social. Drawing on scientific evidence and ground-truth logic, they dismantle calls for Democratic moderation and prescribe a path that is pragmatic and courageous.
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Are you interested in the role of elites in disseminating ideas and framing policies? Then you should consider contributing to this Special Issue edited by me and Milka. You can email us an abstract if you want to know whether your paper idea is a good fit with the theme.
✨Call for Papers✨
Acta Sociologica is happy to publish the call for papers for a new special issue on moral elites which will be guest-edited by Anders Sevelsted and Milka Ivanovska Hadjievska!
Deadline for submissions is 30 June 2026.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Acta Sociologica is happy to publish the call for papers for a new special issue on moral elites which will be guest-edited by Anders Sevelsted and Milka Ivanovska Hadjievska!
Deadline for submissions is 30 June 2026.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Are you interested in the role of elites in disseminating ideas and framing policies? Then you should consider contributing to this Special Issue edited by me and Milka. You can email us an abstract if you want to know whether your paper idea is a good fit with the theme.
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
36.6% arm oder armutsgefährdet. Ist eine politische Entscheidung.
17,6 Millionen Menschen in Deutschland sind armutsgefährdet. Das teilt das Statistische Bundesamt mit. Mehr als 13 Millionen weitere Deutsche leben in Armut. Besonders gefährdet ist eine Bevölkerungsgruppe.
Armut: Rund jeder fünfte Deutsche ist gefährdet
17,6 Millionen Menschen in Deutschland sind armutsgefährdet. Das teilt das Statistische Bundesamt mit. Mehr als 13 Millionen weitere Deutsche leben in Armut. Besonders gefährdet ist eine Bevölkerungsgruppe.
www.spiegel.de
February 3, 2026 at 2:53 PM
36.6% arm oder armutsgefährdet. Ist eine politische Entscheidung.
"Centrism is not in and of itself illegitimate. But its defenders should ask themselves hard questions about what it can possibly mean in 2026. A reflexive position in the middle – for the middle must by definition be reasonable – makes little sense in a completely asymmetrical political landscape."
Beware of ‘anti-woke’ liberals: they attacked the left and helped Trump win | Jan-Werner Müller
So-called ‘reactionary centrist’ pundits proclaimed that there was a global ‘vibe shift’ in favor of the right. They were wrong
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:30 PM
"Centrism is not in and of itself illegitimate. But its defenders should ask themselves hard questions about what it can possibly mean in 2026. A reflexive position in the middle – for the middle must by definition be reasonable – makes little sense in a completely asymmetrical political landscape."
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
berger year
February 2, 2026 at 9:40 PM
berger year
Reposted by Linus Westheuser
Warum dürfen wir eigentlich keinen Klassenkampf machen aber die CDU schon?
February 2, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Warum dürfen wir eigentlich keinen Klassenkampf machen aber die CDU schon?