Michael Bang Petersen
@m-b-petersen.bsky.social
Auditing the challenges of democracy in the 21st century for the Danish parliament with a particular focus on social media, mistrust and political alienation.
Political science professor at Aarhus University, Denmark.
Political science professor at Aarhus University, Denmark.
It seems like researchers' inboxes across the EU and North America are exploding with replies to an survey invitation. At least, mine is.
I feel the urge to share this New York Times classic but I'll do it here rather than in the email chain...
I feel the urge to share this New York Times classic but I'll do it here rather than in the email chain...
November 13, 2025 at 9:24 AM
It seems like researchers' inboxes across the EU and North America are exploding with replies to an survey invitation. At least, mine is.
I feel the urge to share this New York Times classic but I'll do it here rather than in the email chain...
I feel the urge to share this New York Times classic but I'll do it here rather than in the email chain...
In 2010, Mark Zuckberberg became Time's "Person of The Year". The article is surreal reading today.
Here are just two quotes:
"As for money, his indifference to it is almost pathological"
"Facebook wants to...tame the howling mob...The Internet, and the whole world, will feel more like a family"
Here are just two quotes:
"As for money, his indifference to it is almost pathological"
"Facebook wants to...tame the howling mob...The Internet, and the whole world, will feel more like a family"
May 23, 2025 at 6:37 AM
In 2010, Mark Zuckberberg became Time's "Person of The Year". The article is surreal reading today.
Here are just two quotes:
"As for money, his indifference to it is almost pathological"
"Facebook wants to...tame the howling mob...The Internet, and the whole world, will feel more like a family"
Here are just two quotes:
"As for money, his indifference to it is almost pathological"
"Facebook wants to...tame the howling mob...The Internet, and the whole world, will feel more like a family"
I had an interesting conversation with @rafaelbehr.bsky.social on his podcast "Politics on the Couch" about why some voters just want to watch the world burn - and how that explains a lot of what goes on in the US right now and what can be done.
Listen here: shows.acast.com/politicsonth...
Listen here: shows.acast.com/politicsonth...
May 14, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I had an interesting conversation with @rafaelbehr.bsky.social on his podcast "Politics on the Couch" about why some voters just want to watch the world burn - and how that explains a lot of what goes on in the US right now and what can be done.
Listen here: shows.acast.com/politicsonth...
Listen here: shows.acast.com/politicsonth...
Today 80 years ago, Denmark was liberated from the Nazi regime.
It is a long time ago. But the signs are still here.
E.g, this bullet hole in a fence at Aarhus University from bombings that happened on Oct 31 in 1944.
Those signs serve as a reminder in a time where autocracy is again rising.
It is a long time ago. But the signs are still here.
E.g, this bullet hole in a fence at Aarhus University from bombings that happened on Oct 31 in 1944.
Those signs serve as a reminder in a time where autocracy is again rising.
May 5, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Today 80 years ago, Denmark was liberated from the Nazi regime.
It is a long time ago. But the signs are still here.
E.g, this bullet hole in a fence at Aarhus University from bombings that happened on Oct 31 in 1944.
Those signs serve as a reminder in a time where autocracy is again rising.
It is a long time ago. But the signs are still here.
E.g, this bullet hole in a fence at Aarhus University from bombings that happened on Oct 31 in 1944.
Those signs serve as a reminder in a time where autocracy is again rising.
Trump has every single hallmark of a dominance-oriented leader - and this may make him want to take everyone with him if he goes down in flames.
I was interviewed for @nytimes.com on the topic of Trump’s personality along a number of other experts.
Article here: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/o...
I was interviewed for @nytimes.com on the topic of Trump’s personality along a number of other experts.
Article here: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/o...
April 29, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Trump has every single hallmark of a dominance-oriented leader - and this may make him want to take everyone with him if he goes down in flames.
I was interviewed for @nytimes.com on the topic of Trump’s personality along a number of other experts.
Article here: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/o...
I was interviewed for @nytimes.com on the topic of Trump’s personality along a number of other experts.
Article here: www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/o...
Come for Anaal Nathrakh, stay for yours truly.
On the Saturday line-up at this year's Copenhell festival 🤘
On the Saturday line-up at this year's Copenhell festival 🤘
April 29, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Come for Anaal Nathrakh, stay for yours truly.
On the Saturday line-up at this year's Copenhell festival 🤘
On the Saturday line-up at this year's Copenhell festival 🤘
Lab Leak is now the official COVID-19 theory of the US government: www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-tru...
April 25, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Lab Leak is now the official COVID-19 theory of the US government: www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-tru...
This statement from the NSF is insane.
Science is, in essence, designed to separate the true from the false.
Understanding how falsehoods spread is key to the scientific endeavor. It is not a violation of free speech to be proven wrong.
Science is, in essence, designed to separate the true from the false.
Understanding how falsehoods spread is key to the scientific endeavor. It is not a violation of free speech to be proven wrong.
April 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM
This statement from the NSF is insane.
Science is, in essence, designed to separate the true from the false.
Understanding how falsehoods spread is key to the scientific endeavor. It is not a violation of free speech to be proven wrong.
Science is, in essence, designed to separate the true from the false.
Understanding how falsehoods spread is key to the scientific endeavor. It is not a violation of free speech to be proven wrong.
This was how it looked yesterday.
Today, China just raised to 125 % tariffs after Trump raised to 145 %
Today, China just raised to 125 % tariffs after Trump raised to 145 %
April 11, 2025 at 8:13 AM
This was how it looked yesterday.
Today, China just raised to 125 % tariffs after Trump raised to 145 %
Today, China just raised to 125 % tariffs after Trump raised to 145 %
Pundits are - in vain - looking to economics and politics when trying to explain Trump's behavior.
But, in reality, the central place to look if we want to understand Trump and his policies is this:
The psychology of dominance.
🧵(1/5)
But, in reality, the central place to look if we want to understand Trump and his policies is this:
The psychology of dominance.
🧵(1/5)
April 9, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Pundits are - in vain - looking to economics and politics when trying to explain Trump's behavior.
But, in reality, the central place to look if we want to understand Trump and his policies is this:
The psychology of dominance.
🧵(1/5)
But, in reality, the central place to look if we want to understand Trump and his policies is this:
The psychology of dominance.
🧵(1/5)
As we now all need to understand trade policy and trade deficits to make sense of the world we live in, I found this a helpful article: www.cfr.org/backgrounder...
It is 6 years old. But in a context of political repression of science, we may get the most clear-eyed analyses from earlier work.
It is 6 years old. But in a context of political repression of science, we may get the most clear-eyed analyses from earlier work.
April 3, 2025 at 5:49 AM
As we now all need to understand trade policy and trade deficits to make sense of the world we live in, I found this a helpful article: www.cfr.org/backgrounder...
It is 6 years old. But in a context of political repression of science, we may get the most clear-eyed analyses from earlier work.
It is 6 years old. But in a context of political repression of science, we may get the most clear-eyed analyses from earlier work.
The Danish Primeminister, Mette Frederiksen:
United States is putting an "unacceptable pressure" on Denmark and Greenland.
"It is a pressure that we will withstand."
www.dr.dk/nyheder/poli...
United States is putting an "unacceptable pressure" on Denmark and Greenland.
"It is a pressure that we will withstand."
www.dr.dk/nyheder/poli...
March 25, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The Danish Primeminister, Mette Frederiksen:
United States is putting an "unacceptable pressure" on Denmark and Greenland.
"It is a pressure that we will withstand."
www.dr.dk/nyheder/poli...
United States is putting an "unacceptable pressure" on Denmark and Greenland.
"It is a pressure that we will withstand."
www.dr.dk/nyheder/poli...
Jeg beder til, at vores politiske ledere har mere politisk tæft og rygrad, men det som TV2 ligger op til her 👇
Danmark skal holde fast i den internationale retsorden med ALT vores mod og alle vores midler.
Danmark skal holde fast i den internationale retsorden med ALT vores mod og alle vores midler.
March 23, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Jeg beder til, at vores politiske ledere har mere politisk tæft og rygrad, men det som TV2 ligger op til her 👇
Danmark skal holde fast i den internationale retsorden med ALT vores mod og alle vores midler.
Danmark skal holde fast i den internationale retsorden med ALT vores mod og alle vores midler.
🚨 NEW PREPRINT 🚨
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed almost 8 % of the Danish population using daily surveys about behavior and attitudes.
In a new preprint, we show how such fine-grained self-reported data can be used to improve the modeling of disease spread: arxiv.org/abs/2503.11455
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed almost 8 % of the Danish population using daily surveys about behavior and attitudes.
In a new preprint, we show how such fine-grained self-reported data can be used to improve the modeling of disease spread: arxiv.org/abs/2503.11455
March 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM
🚨 NEW PREPRINT 🚨
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed almost 8 % of the Danish population using daily surveys about behavior and attitudes.
In a new preprint, we show how such fine-grained self-reported data can be used to improve the modeling of disease spread: arxiv.org/abs/2503.11455
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we surveyed almost 8 % of the Danish population using daily surveys about behavior and attitudes.
In a new preprint, we show how such fine-grained self-reported data can be used to improve the modeling of disease spread: arxiv.org/abs/2503.11455
Our results also show that a key difference betw populists & non-populists are concerns of political bias in research.
Opposition against science can be mobilized among populists via constant messages of political bias among researchers.
Again, this is what we see in the US today.
(3/4)
Opposition against science can be mobilized among populists via constant messages of political bias among researchers.
Again, this is what we see in the US today.
(3/4)
March 16, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Our results also show that a key difference betw populists & non-populists are concerns of political bias in research.
Opposition against science can be mobilized among populists via constant messages of political bias among researchers.
Again, this is what we see in the US today.
(3/4)
Opposition against science can be mobilized among populists via constant messages of political bias among researchers.
Again, this is what we see in the US today.
(3/4)
🚨NEW ARTICLE 🚨 with Adam Peresman, @honoratam.bsky.social & @thoruplars.bsky.social
We show that those often seen as most critical of research - populists! - have relatively *high* trust in scientists across 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 & are willing to follow their advice: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧵(1/4)
We show that those often seen as most critical of research - populists! - have relatively *high* trust in scientists across 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 & are willing to follow their advice: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧵(1/4)
March 16, 2025 at 11:36 AM
🚨NEW ARTICLE 🚨 with Adam Peresman, @honoratam.bsky.social & @thoruplars.bsky.social
We show that those often seen as most critical of research - populists! - have relatively *high* trust in scientists across 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 & are willing to follow their advice: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧵(1/4)
We show that those often seen as most critical of research - populists! - have relatively *high* trust in scientists across 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 & are willing to follow their advice: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
🧵(1/4)
800 people demonstrated yesterday in Nuuk, Greenland against Donald Trump’s goal of “annexing” Greenland.
That may not sound like many. But relative to the city size, this would correspond to over 330,000 protesters in NYC. That would be one of the largest demonstrations in the history of the city.
That may not sound like many. But relative to the city size, this would correspond to over 330,000 protesters in NYC. That would be one of the largest demonstrations in the history of the city.
March 16, 2025 at 8:11 AM
800 people demonstrated yesterday in Nuuk, Greenland against Donald Trump’s goal of “annexing” Greenland.
That may not sound like many. But relative to the city size, this would correspond to over 330,000 protesters in NYC. That would be one of the largest demonstrations in the history of the city.
That may not sound like many. But relative to the city size, this would correspond to over 330,000 protesters in NYC. That would be one of the largest demonstrations in the history of the city.
We know that economic anxiety & conspiracy beliefs are related. Often this is used to argue that it is key to fix economic conditions to avoid widespread conspiracy beliefs.
But a new study shows that causality runs the other way. The conspiracy beliefs drive the anxiety: doi.org/10.1111/pops...
But a new study shows that causality runs the other way. The conspiracy beliefs drive the anxiety: doi.org/10.1111/pops...
March 13, 2025 at 10:21 AM
We know that economic anxiety & conspiracy beliefs are related. Often this is used to argue that it is key to fix economic conditions to avoid widespread conspiracy beliefs.
But a new study shows that causality runs the other way. The conspiracy beliefs drive the anxiety: doi.org/10.1111/pops...
But a new study shows that causality runs the other way. The conspiracy beliefs drive the anxiety: doi.org/10.1111/pops...
Members of the Republican Party continuously propose legislation that would facilitate a "cult of personality" around Trump - a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.
Here is a partial list to help as we keep track of the myriad of ways democracy can erode.
🧵(1/8)
Here is a partial list to help as we keep track of the myriad of ways democracy can erode.
🧵(1/8)
March 12, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Members of the Republican Party continuously propose legislation that would facilitate a "cult of personality" around Trump - a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.
Here is a partial list to help as we keep track of the myriad of ways democracy can erode.
🧵(1/8)
Here is a partial list to help as we keep track of the myriad of ways democracy can erode.
🧵(1/8)
Danmarkshistorien.dk har nu fået en god oversigtsartikel om COVID-19-pandemien: danmarkshistorien.dk/vis/material...
Og jeg er også glad for den fine omtale af HOPE-projektet, som jeg stod i spidsen for 👇
Og jeg er også glad for den fine omtale af HOPE-projektet, som jeg stod i spidsen for 👇
March 6, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Danmarkshistorien.dk har nu fået en god oversigtsartikel om COVID-19-pandemien: danmarkshistorien.dk/vis/material...
Og jeg er også glad for den fine omtale af HOPE-projektet, som jeg stod i spidsen for 👇
Og jeg er også glad for den fine omtale af HOPE-projektet, som jeg stod i spidsen for 👇
The meeting in London today with the leaders of EU, UK and Canada is of critical historical importance.
March 2, 2025 at 10:46 AM
The meeting in London today with the leaders of EU, UK and Canada is of critical historical importance.
Authoritarianism runs strong in this family. It is an utter disgrace.
The world order has changed. The US is no longer the leader of the free world.
The key question going forward: Who is?
Which side of history do our politicians choose - and who will lead?
The world order has changed. The US is no longer the leader of the free world.
The key question going forward: Who is?
Which side of history do our politicians choose - and who will lead?
March 1, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Authoritarianism runs strong in this family. It is an utter disgrace.
The world order has changed. The US is no longer the leader of the free world.
The key question going forward: Who is?
Which side of history do our politicians choose - and who will lead?
The world order has changed. The US is no longer the leader of the free world.
The key question going forward: Who is?
Which side of history do our politicians choose - and who will lead?
Trump’s & Reps’ focus on “making deals” reminds me of research on the 4 basic types of relationships: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1454904/
Shifting relationships into market transactions implies a disregard for values, solidarity & a core focus on selfish proportional gain.
This is what we witness.
Shifting relationships into market transactions implies a disregard for values, solidarity & a core focus on selfish proportional gain.
This is what we witness.
March 1, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Trump’s & Reps’ focus on “making deals” reminds me of research on the 4 basic types of relationships: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1454904/
Shifting relationships into market transactions implies a disregard for values, solidarity & a core focus on selfish proportional gain.
This is what we witness.
Shifting relationships into market transactions implies a disregard for values, solidarity & a core focus on selfish proportional gain.
This is what we witness.
So, what is the value of *liberal* democracy then?
One key value is the intrinsic recognition of the individual, as stressed by enlightenment philosophers
Another extrinsic value is that liberal democracy may create better societies, e.g, more growth: bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2023/v23...
(5/6)
One key value is the intrinsic recognition of the individual, as stressed by enlightenment philosophers
Another extrinsic value is that liberal democracy may create better societies, e.g, more growth: bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2023/v23...
(5/6)
February 26, 2025 at 3:07 PM
So, what is the value of *liberal* democracy then?
One key value is the intrinsic recognition of the individual, as stressed by enlightenment philosophers
Another extrinsic value is that liberal democracy may create better societies, e.g, more growth: bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2023/v23...
(5/6)
One key value is the intrinsic recognition of the individual, as stressed by enlightenment philosophers
Another extrinsic value is that liberal democracy may create better societies, e.g, more growth: bibliothek.wzb.eu/pdf/2023/v23...
(5/6)
Wunsch et al. measured support for liberal and majoritarian democracy as shown below 👇 (with authoritarianism as comparison)
A key difference relates to the protection of rights. Liberal democracy puts a premium on civil and political rights.
(3/6)
A key difference relates to the protection of rights. Liberal democracy puts a premium on civil and political rights.
(3/6)
February 26, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Wunsch et al. measured support for liberal and majoritarian democracy as shown below 👇 (with authoritarianism as comparison)
A key difference relates to the protection of rights. Liberal democracy puts a premium on civil and political rights.
(3/6)
A key difference relates to the protection of rights. Liberal democracy puts a premium on civil and political rights.
(3/6)