British Journal of Political Science

Illustrated image of blue bird taking off

"Challenges policy makers, judges, and legal scholars alike to measure (at least) twice before cutting once to avoid doing more harm than good when regulating social media platforms."

Killing the Messenger by Ashutosh Bhagwat (@ucdavis.bsky.social)

https://cup.org/47uFwsJ

#PoliSci 🗺️ #LawSky #OA

BJPolS abstract discussing the economic dependency of localities on single industries, focusing on the coal industry in the United States, and its impact on local government policy and economic sustainability.

NEW -

Company Towns: Single-Industry Dominance and Local Government Capacity - https://cup.org/48yJZcG

- @elizabethelder.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the effectiveness of direct democracy methods in Switzerland and California, examining voters' decisions and knowledge in referendum campaigns.

NEW -

The Dynamics of Public Opinion in Direct Democracy Campaigns - https://cup.org/3Ki0Lou

- Adrien Petitpas & Pascal Sciarini

#OpenAccess

Illustrated image of the Federal Reserve building

Explains the waxing and waning of neoliberalism in terms of changing alliances between central bankers, economists, and politicians.

Technocrats in Turmoil by Nicolas Jabko (@jhuartssciences.bsky.social) | Coming Soon

#EconSky 🗺️ #PoliSci #Politics #BookSky

https://cup.org/4oPQuP4

BJPolS abstract describing an article about the limitations of existing defenses of hybrid regimes in democracy, focusing on political knowledge, electoral democracy's functions, and the impacts of unconstrained political competition.

NEW -

Defensible Democratic Meritocracy: A Competition-Based Account - https://cup.org/4pBIEbR

- @zhichaotong.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

Happy to share my new article in @bjpols.bsky.social where I explore why political meritocracy, electoral democracy, and lottocratic institutions need to be combined into a hybrid regime to avoid pathologies of unconstrained political competition www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Logo of the British Journal of Political Science, featuring text that also mentions the Brian Barry Prize.

Nominations for the 2026 Brian Barry Prize are open today - the 1st of December 2025.

Find out more - https://cup.org/4rl5mqj

In partnership with @universitypress.cambridge.org and BJPolS, the @britishacademy.bsky.social awards an annual prize in honour of Brian Barry.

BJPolS abstract of a discussing the effectiveness of locally rooted human rights activism in reducing homophobia in Zimbabwe, focusing on strategies for challenging anti-LGBTQ sentiments and promoting LGBTQ rights in African contexts.

NEW -

Rooting Equality: Testing the Effectiveness of Activist Frames Combating Homophobia in Zimbabwe - https://cup.org/3XSzLPn

- @payoub.bsky.social & Adam S. Harris

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the impact of China as a global power in international politics, focusing on its relations with the United States and Middle East and South Asian countries. The text examines third-party countries' diplomatic alignments and responses to U.S and China relations.

NEW -

Decisive or Distracted: The Effects of US Constraint on Security Networks - https://cup.org/3LVMVIS

- @haeunchoi.bsky.social, Scott de Marchi, Max Gallop & Shahryar Minhas

#OpenAccess

Logo of the British Journal of Political Science, featuring text that also mentions the Brian Barry Prize.

In partnership with @universitypress.cambridge.org and BJPolS, the @britishacademy.bsky.social awards an annual prize in honour of Brian Barry.

Nominations for the 2026 Brian Barry Prize open on the 1st of December 2025.

Find out more - https://cup.org/4rl5mqj

Climate cooperation, devolution, and the difficulties for left-behind places around climate policy - UK in a changing Europe Patrick Bayer and Federica Genovese argue that while communities exposed to climate mitigation are afraid of net zero, some might be more interested in international climate cooperation than you think...

Patrick Bayer & @fgenovese.bsky.social have summarised their recent BJPolS article in a @ukandeu.bsky.social post -

https://cup.org/3M6HC9n

BJPolS abstract discussing the nostalgia for empire in post-imperial European contexts, examining public opinion and attitudes towards imperial history.

NEWS -

The Politics of Imperial Nostalgia - https://cup.org/4p1QbRA

"right-wing opposition to criticism of the imperial past is stronger than left-wing support"

- Christopher Claassen & @danjdevine.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract of a scientific study related to social science research on migration, cultural bias, and economic impacts from the 2010s, using survey data from 428,881 respondents globally. The text elaborates on the findings and mentions the influence of migrants on professional education, cultural concerns, and public perception.

NEW -

A Meta-Analysis of Attitudes Towards Migrants and Displaced Persons - https://cup.org/3K67rG6

- @swebera.bsky.social, Nik Stoop, Peter van der Windt & Haoyu Zhai

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the movement of capital across borders, the impact of financial liberalization, and the role of offshore financial centers in economic and illicit activities.

NEW -

Hide and Seek: Offshore Financial Centers and Targeted Sanctions - https://cup.org/4i925GJ

- Menevis Cilizoglu & Chelsea Estancona

#OpenAccess

Very happy to see my article (with Knight) on anti-homeless hostile design published in @bjpols.bsky.social

BJPolS abstract discussing how politicians use different speech styles in legislative speeches, with a focus on US House of Representatives' data.

NEW -

Public Opinion and Emphatic Legislative Speech: Evidence from an Automated Video Analysis - https://cup.org/47Xn4r2

- Oliver Rittmann, Tobias Ringwald & @donyhu.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the challenges and proposal of a new typology for assessing citizen competence in sustaining democracy. The text addresses empirical data and suggests a solutions-oriented, systemic approach rather than individual-level interventions.

From September 2025 -

Rethinking Citizen Competence: A New Theoretical and Empirical Framework - cup.org/3I85Zlp

- @stevenklein.bsky.social & @ethanvporter.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the wrongful aspects of hostile designs in public spaces, such as anti-homeless spikes, and the ethical implications of such designs on marginalized communities.

From September 2025 -

Anti-homeless Hostile Design as Wrongful Discrimination - cup.org/45JxUBl

- @andreasalbertsen.bsky.social & Carl Knight

#OpenAccess

BJPolS Abstract discussing a social science research method that uses text analysis for understanding group language patterns and political leanings, mentioning the use of British articles and generating new empirical insights.

From September 2025 -

Detecting Group Mentions in Political Rhetoric A Supervised Learning Approach - cup.org/45WZppQ

- @haukelicht.bsky.social & @ronjasczepanski.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

Experimental evidence that *randomly varying the severity of democratic norm violations* is 1) as good as incrementally increasing severity (re subversion by stealth), and 2) better than incrementally decreasing severity (re reference point theory) for would-be authoritarians

BJPolS abstract discussing the dynamics of political transparency and accountability, with a focus on democratic responsiveness and the behaviors of incumbents in a democratic setup.

NEW -

Dynamic Democratic Backsliding - https://cup.org/3X48Yzq

"I formulate and test predictions about how different sequences of backsliding shape accountability."

- Eddy S. F. Yeung

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing statistical disparities in judicial decisions, focusing on group decision inconsistencies and introducing decision-theoretic models. The study primarily uses cases from the Swiss appellate courts to examine these issues.

NEW -

Inferring Individual Preferences from Group Decisions: Judicial Preference Variation and Aggregation on Collegial Courts - https://cup.org/3JDPfDC

- Dominik Hangartner, Benjamin E. Lauderdale & Judith Spirig

#FirstView

BJPolS abstract examining Jair Bolsonaro's influence on anti-system political attitudes and job dissatisfaction using Brazil's RAIS database, discussing demographic, employment, and survey findings related to his supporters.

NEW -

From the Factory Floor to the Ballot Box: Firm-Based Origins of Brazil’s Populist Right - https://cup.org/4r04qrj

- @matigiannoni.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the behavior of American state legislators and their impact on democratic processes, specifically in relation to actions taken around the 2020 presidential election.

NEW -

The Consequences of Elite Action Against Elections - https://cup.org/3K5I3Aa

- @rachelporter.bsky.social, Jeffrey J. Harden, Emily Anderson, Géssica de Freitas, Mackenzie R. Dobson, @ahemmen.bsky.social & Emma Schroeder

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the impact of China banning imports of twenty-six types of waste on global waste trade, price, processing, and environmental protection from 1996 to 2020.

NEW -

Tariffs as Environmental Protection: Evidence from the Global South after the China Garbage Shock - https://cup.org/3WVUjpS

- @rwellhausen.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract on the impact of environmental protests on public support, using evidence from surveys and experiments in the Netherlands, discussing media coverage and its effects on public perceptions.

NEW -

Public Support for Pro-environment and Environment-Critical Movements - https://cup.org/3XzCAEJ

- @dirckdekleer.bsky.social, @catherinedevries.bsky.social & @simonvanteutem.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

Friends, my article w/ @silje-hermansen.bsky.social and @louisabo.bsky.social on how/why the "have nots" come out ahead in litigation @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social is out in @bjpols.bsky.social! We propose a theory of judicial leveling & spotlighting to explain these contrarian results: take a look!

BJPolS abstract discussing the impact of international courts like the European Court of Justice on individual rights and civil society, highlighting their role in promoting legal claims and supporting networks.

NEW -

Leveling and Spotlighting: How the European Court of Justice Favors the Weak to Promote Its Legitimacy - https://cup.org/4oWD6ZT

- @silje-hermansen.bsky.social, @tommasopavone.bsky.social & @louisabo.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

New publication with Emilien Paulis and David Talukder!

We examine how regional economic conditions shape public support for direct and deliberative democratic innovations (DIs). Our findings show that common explanations of support for DIs are context-dependent:

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

🚨 NEW in @bjpols.bsky.social : When Partygate hit Westminster, trust in Scottish politicians increased. Our experiments reveal a "contrast effect" - scandals at one level can make the other look better by comparison. Who lost most trust in Westminster? Scottish unionists. Read now #OpenAccess 👇