Kai Arzheimer
banner
kai-arzheimer.com
Kai Arzheimer
@kai-arzheimer.com

Politics Prof @powimz.bsky.social | parties, elections, attitudes, behaviour | right-wing extremism/populism/radicalism https://www.kai-arzheimer.com/

Kai Arzheimer is a German professor of Political Science at the University of Mainz. Previously, he was a Lecturer in German and West European Politics at the Department of Government of the University of Essex. In 2017-2018, he held the Hannah Arendt Visiting Chair in German and European Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. .. more

Political science 68%
Sociology 12%

Not funny
Am Wochenende will sich in Gießen die neue Jugendorganisation der AfD gründen – begleitet von großen Gegendemonstrationen.

Ideologisch wie auch personell zeigen sich Kontinuitäten zu der Jungen Alternativen, analysiert ANNA-SOPHIE HEINZE (@asheinze.bsky.social).

verfassungsblog.de/afd-jugendor...

Turn! Turn! Turn!
📣 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 ✅

Fascinating statistics on social media use in the US. YouTube and BoomerBook still come out tops overall and a more popular with younger citizens than I would have thought. Bluesky is used by a tiny majority, but is still more popular than Truth Social.
Americans’ Social Media Use 2025
YouTube remains the most popular, but adults are increasingly using Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and Reddit. Use of some platforms varies by age, gender, and race and ethnicity.
www.pewresearch.org

Reposted by Nils Zurawski

This is factually correct #AcademicChatter

A chunk of the incredible computing power available to mankind in 2025 is used to clone Hitler's voice in a bid to appeal to younger generations. So far, so unsurprisingly depressing. What really 𝘥𝘪𝘥 surprise me though is that TikTok moderation is quite effective, compared to other networks.
For over a year, neo-Nazi networks have been exploiting readily available AI voice-cloning tools to produce English-language versions of Adolf Hitler’s speeches, circulating them on TikTok, X, Instagram, and YouTube. These AI-generated videos have collected over fifty million views according to a report published by ISD in September 2024, subtly normalising extremist ideology by recasting Hitler as a misunderstood leader and embedding antisemitic or conspiracist narratives into emotionally engaging content, while continuing to elude platform moderation. This Insight examines how these deepfakes are created, how they spread extremist messages without overt symbols, assesses the effectiveness of current platform responses, and offers evidence-based recommendations for stakeholders operating under the Digital Services Act.
gnet-research.org

You tell me, little bot
Do androids dream of stable URLs?

"Käse" außerhalb von Quebec oft das größere Problem

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

BREAKING: Trump pardons turkey who appeared 28 times on Epstein flight logs
Die @bpb.de hat sich von X verabschiedet und wird deswegen massiv von rechts kritisiert. Ich denke, da sollte man mal reinfolgen.

My year in review

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

I build parsimonious models; you practice dimension reduction for feasibility; they make restrictive assumptions
#IrregularVerbs

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

Die Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz hat eine spannende Studie vorgestellt. Das Ergebnis: Islamfeindlichkeit kommt von Fremdenhass, nicht vom christlichem Glauben. Rechtspopulisten instrumentalisieren christliche Identität für Islamfeindlichkeit. Das sehen wir bei der AfD!

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

Als selbsternannte „Stimme der Mehrheit“ schafft es #NIUS nicht einmal unter die 100 meistaufgerufenen Nachrichtenportale. Grotesk, wie viel Aufmerksamkeit manche aus Politik und Medien diesem Nischenportal schenken.

➡️ kress.de/news/beitrag...

This is very good: 'Democracy's challenge isn't distinguishing real from synthetic, but building institutions capable of governing commercial platforms whose business model depends on polarisation.'
The 'Dead Internet Theory' and the rise of synthetic politics
The Dead Internet Theory, once dismissed as 'paranoid fantasy', now offers a disturbingly useful framework for understanding digital politics. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that the theory's growing credibility masks deeper questions about whether we're overestimating AI's political power while underestimating our willingness to accept technological determinism
theloop.ecpr.eu

#RetroPost How the #AfD made populist right-wing radicalism almost normal in #Germany (free preprint)
Don't mention the war! How populist right-wing radicalism became (almost) normal in Germany - kai arzheimer
The rise of the "Alternative for Germany" shows that Germany is not immune to radical right-wing populism. As of 2019, the result is even less flexibility
www.kai-arzheimer.com

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

In the context of our cooperation with @Middlebury #ProjectsforPeace, JGU students can receive a $10.000 grant to conduct a project to develop innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues. See: internationale.politik.uni-mainz.de/2025/11/21/c...

Apropos of nothing, 2x2 tables were the pinnacle of social theory #PhDComics #AcademicChatter

Not Ready for a Female President?
Not Ready for a Female President?
“Michelle Obama” by Gage skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 WaPo (“Michel...
outsidethebeltway.com

Not too much substance in this article, but it's a funny weekend read
Elon Musk: Better Than Jesus?
Grok is trying to rewrite history on behalf of its creator.
www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

🚀 Giving the Laufer Lecture at the LMU!

🏛️ Honored to speak about current challenges to democracy and how we can strengthen democratic resilience.

📊 Amongst others, I present our Brandmauer study featured in a recent op-ed in the SZ.

📅 24 Nov 2025, 14:00
📍 Great Hall (E120)

tinyurl.com/3shaawbt
Demokratie: Wenn die Rechte mitregiert, wird sie nicht geschwächt – im Gegenteil
Eine Untersuchung von 57 Ländern zeigt: Wenn die Rechte in Verantwortung kommt, gewinnt sie dazu. Daraus lässt sich für Deutschland lernen.
tinyurl.com

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

Academic Rejection

I feel seen. Literally.

There are very good reasons 𝘯𝘰𝘵 to panic about the #AfD's success in the #btw25 election, but their result is certainly historic. Want to know more? Or just can't go back to sleep? Tune in to my chat with Selcuk Gultasli
Professor Kai Arzheimer: AfD’s Surge is a Game-Changer in Post-War German Politics
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has doubled its vote share in the February 23 elections, marking what Professor Kai Arzheimer calls “a turning point in post-war German politics.” While expected, this surge solidifies the AfD as Germany’s second-strongest party, normalizing far-right rhetoric in mainstream discourse. Arzheimer highlights how economic anxiety, deindustrialization, and anti-immigration sentiment fuel AfD’s rise. He also warns that mainstream parties risk losing credibility by mimicking far-right policies rather than offering bold alternatives. Despite its growing influence, AfD’s radicalization presents both an opportunity and a challenge for German democracy. As political fragmentation deepens, the response of centrist parties will determine whether this shift is temporary—or part of a long-term realignment. Interview by Selcuk Gultasli The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has cemented itself as a formidable force in German politics, nearly doubling its vote share in the February 23 elections compared to 2021. According to Professor Kai Arzheimer, a...
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Kai Arzheimer

POV: you're teaching political science but the internet has turned your brain to mush.

Amen
I think we should file it under “just because you can survey people about a subject doesn’t mean you should survey people about a subject“.