Sam D. Schmid
@samdschmid.bsky.social
MOVING RESEARCHERS FORWARD | Research and Study Program Manager @ University of Lucerne, Switzerland | Political Science PhD from EUI, Florence | #migration #citizenship #democracy #measurement | he/him/his | www.samdschmid.com
Pinned
Sam D. Schmid
@samdschmid.bsky.social
· Aug 25
🚨New Peer-Reviewed Working Paper @mpimmg.bsky.social
I introduce quantitative political science data and methods to compare immigration law. A revised version will appear as a Chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Comparative Immigration Law.
www.samdschmid.com/publications...
I introduce quantitative political science data and methods to compare immigration law. A revised version will appear as a Chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Comparative Immigration Law.
www.samdschmid.com/publications...
Samuel D. Schmid - Quantitative Methods for Comparative Immigration
Abstract Over the past years and decades, numerous large-scale quantitative datasets to measure various attributes of immigration law have been generated an...
www.samdschmid.com
🚨 This overview of quantitative political science data and methods for comparative immigration law is intended for students and scholars of other methodological and/or disciplinary backgrounds.
@migcitizenapsa.bsky.social @migcitpol.bsky.social @globalcit.bsky.social
@migcitizenapsa.bsky.social @migcitpol.bsky.social @globalcit.bsky.social
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Really thrilled to announce the publication of what I consider to be the most important article of my academic career in the journal West European Politics: "The Ecologism/Productivism cleavage: reassessing the transformation of cleavage politics in Western Europe", co-authored with Florent Gougou.
January 15, 2026 at 6:21 AM
Really thrilled to announce the publication of what I consider to be the most important article of my academic career in the journal West European Politics: "The Ecologism/Productivism cleavage: reassessing the transformation of cleavage politics in Western Europe", co-authored with Florent Gougou.
My colleague Maurits Heumann (www.unilu.ch/fakultaeten/...) has recently published an excellent piece on the hitherto neglected epistemic dimension of rural-urban divides in Switzerland. More qual, quant, and mixed-methods work on this is in the pipeline!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
‘They don't know what they're doing.’ Epistemic divides and rural consciousness in Switzerland
Established frameworks of rural resentment help explain right-wing voting behavior and anti-establishment attitudes, but they struggle to account for …
www.sciencedirect.com
January 15, 2026 at 2:54 PM
My colleague Maurits Heumann (www.unilu.ch/fakultaeten/...) has recently published an excellent piece on the hitherto neglected epistemic dimension of rural-urban divides in Switzerland. More qual, quant, and mixed-methods work on this is in the pipeline!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Within the next decade the radical right is going to be the main force on the right in Europe (national and EU level). This includes far-right parties and formerly centre-right parties shifting their position. Moderate conservatism and Christian democracy will largely disappear on the right. 1/
The EU’s centrist powers need to move to the right to reflect the new political reality, the leader of the European People’s Party Manfred Weber has told in an exclusive interview with POLITICO.
Europe shifted right — it’s time centrists do too, says Manfred Weber
EPP chief says he still wants to work with traditional allies, but they need to adapt.
www.politico.eu
January 15, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Within the next decade the radical right is going to be the main force on the right in Europe (national and EU level). This includes far-right parties and formerly centre-right parties shifting their position. Moderate conservatism and Christian democracy will largely disappear on the right. 1/
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Apologies for being self-referential but
January 15, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Apologies for being self-referential but
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
The Age of Academic Slop is Upon Us
what happens when AI automates "normal science"?
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Swiss Defense Minister Martin Pfister sounds the alarm:
“Politically driven influence operations are targeting Switzerland to divide our society. We must be ready for this information war”
4x90minutes for democracy: Here’s a highly effective program to strenghten resilience against desinformation⬇️
“Politically driven influence operations are targeting Switzerland to divide our society. We must be ready for this information war”
4x90minutes for democracy: Here’s a highly effective program to strenghten resilience against desinformation⬇️
#POLITKOLUMNE: Disinformation remains one of the most underestimated threats to democracy.
But there is something we can do: a simple program (4x90min) by @priyadarshi-amar.bsky.social has proven highly effective in strengthening information and media literacy www.derbund.ch/desinformati...
But there is something we can do: a simple program (4x90min) by @priyadarshi-amar.bsky.social has proven highly effective in strengthening information and media literacy www.derbund.ch/desinformati...
January 8, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Swiss Defense Minister Martin Pfister sounds the alarm:
“Politically driven influence operations are targeting Switzerland to divide our society. We must be ready for this information war”
4x90minutes for democracy: Here’s a highly effective program to strenghten resilience against desinformation⬇️
“Politically driven influence operations are targeting Switzerland to divide our society. We must be ready for this information war”
4x90minutes for democracy: Here’s a highly effective program to strenghten resilience against desinformation⬇️
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
A new paper by George Borjas—who served this past year in the Trump White House designing some of its anti-immigration policies—claims to display evidence of ideological bias among researchers who study immigration.
doi.org/10.1126/scia...
🧵 Thread—>
doi.org/10.1126/scia...
🧵 Thread—>
January 6, 2026 at 7:59 PM
A new paper by George Borjas—who served this past year in the Trump White House designing some of its anti-immigration policies—claims to display evidence of ideological bias among researchers who study immigration.
doi.org/10.1126/scia...
🧵 Thread—>
doi.org/10.1126/scia...
🧵 Thread—>
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
So the new paper…
—finds that immigration economics is identical to other fields of empirical inquiry: researcher priors correlate with results
—finds that the magnitude of this correlation is minuscule
—does not mention the most prominent documented bias of this kind, from one of the authors.
—finds that immigration economics is identical to other fields of empirical inquiry: researcher priors correlate with results
—finds that the magnitude of this correlation is minuscule
—does not mention the most prominent documented bias of this kind, from one of the authors.
January 6, 2026 at 7:59 PM
So the new paper…
—finds that immigration economics is identical to other fields of empirical inquiry: researcher priors correlate with results
—finds that the magnitude of this correlation is minuscule
—does not mention the most prominent documented bias of this kind, from one of the authors.
—finds that immigration economics is identical to other fields of empirical inquiry: researcher priors correlate with results
—finds that the magnitude of this correlation is minuscule
—does not mention the most prominent documented bias of this kind, from one of the authors.
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
That's false. It is not what the paper shows.
First of all, the "bias" is minuscule.
Quoting Borjas's co-author's analysis of the same dataset:
"Researchers' expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes."
Barely.
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
First of all, the "bias" is minuscule.
Quoting Borjas's co-author's analysis of the same dataset:
"Researchers' expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes."
Barely.
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
January 6, 2026 at 7:59 PM
That's false. It is not what the paper shows.
First of all, the "bias" is minuscule.
Quoting Borjas's co-author's analysis of the same dataset:
"Researchers' expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes."
Barely.
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
First of all, the "bias" is minuscule.
Quoting Borjas's co-author's analysis of the same dataset:
"Researchers' expertise, prior beliefs, and expectations barely predict the wide variation in research outcomes."
Barely.
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
January 5, 2026 at 6:50 AM
amazing how the entire machine can pivot within 24 hours. no need to slowly upsell the argument; just issue new marching orders
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
I'm pleased to report that my forthcoming book is now available for pre-sale. What's more, if you become a paid subscriber to Tusk, I'll send you a complimentary copy of the book!
More about the book below (1/4):
smotus.substack.com/p/my-new-boo...
More about the book below (1/4):
smotus.substack.com/p/my-new-boo...
January 5, 2026 at 8:18 PM
I'm pleased to report that my forthcoming book is now available for pre-sale. What's more, if you become a paid subscriber to Tusk, I'll send you a complimentary copy of the book!
More about the book below (1/4):
smotus.substack.com/p/my-new-boo...
More about the book below (1/4):
smotus.substack.com/p/my-new-boo...
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
“An organism at war with itself is doomed.”
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
January 3, 2026 at 5:44 PM
“An organism at war with itself is doomed.”
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
A message for you all to carry through the year
January 1, 2026 at 6:32 AM
A message for you all to carry through the year
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
What do we think about this, almost 7 months down the line?
Dystopia is closer than you think
We take our usual way of life too much for granted
www.optimallyirrational.com
December 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
What do we think about this, almost 7 months down the line?
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Fellow academics, don't forget to report your side-hustles to the proper authorities
Totally random fact I learned today: the IRS asks you to report income from bribes, drug dealing and theft
December 28, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Fellow academics, don't forget to report your side-hustles to the proper authorities
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Giving what we can has implemented a fun game where you spin a globe to see how your starting point in life would compare if you were reborn today, randomly somewhere on earth.
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
Birth Lottery
If you were reborn today, where would you land? And how would that change your life?
www.givingwhatwecan.org
December 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Giving what we can has implemented a fun game where you spin a globe to see how your starting point in life would compare if you were reborn today, randomly somewhere on earth.
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
On this day, a child was born who left an indelible mark on human history, transforming our understanding of the world. Famous for his long hair, he unraveled the mysteries of the heavens and brought light to the world.
Happy Birthday, Sir Isaac Newton.
(Born Dec 25, 1642, Julian Calendar)
Happy Birthday, Sir Isaac Newton.
(Born Dec 25, 1642, Julian Calendar)
December 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
On this day, a child was born who left an indelible mark on human history, transforming our understanding of the world. Famous for his long hair, he unraveled the mysteries of the heavens and brought light to the world.
Happy Birthday, Sir Isaac Newton.
(Born Dec 25, 1642, Julian Calendar)
Happy Birthday, Sir Isaac Newton.
(Born Dec 25, 1642, Julian Calendar)
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
This is a fantastic dataset for studying the evolution of political attitudes and party preferences in Germany.
Here's a mosaic plot of vote choices in 2025 by vote choices in 2021 (as reported back then).
One striking observation is the high volatility behind the overall gains of the Left Party.
Here's a mosaic plot of vote choices in 2025 by vote choices in 2021 (as reported back then).
One striking observation is the high volatility behind the overall gains of the Left Party.
December 18, 2025 at 8:46 AM
This is a fantastic dataset for studying the evolution of political attitudes and party preferences in Germany.
Here's a mosaic plot of vote choices in 2025 by vote choices in 2021 (as reported back then).
One striking observation is the high volatility behind the overall gains of the Left Party.
Here's a mosaic plot of vote choices in 2025 by vote choices in 2021 (as reported back then).
One striking observation is the high volatility behind the overall gains of the Left Party.
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
The 1️⃣article of our 5️⃣0️⃣Anniversary Special Issue "Debating European Politics: Advances and Perspectives" is out!🎉
"The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi, describing contemporary populism is likely to be a temporary phenomen.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2591874
"The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi, describing contemporary populism is likely to be a temporary phenomen.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2591874
December 12, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The 1️⃣article of our 5️⃣0️⃣Anniversary Special Issue "Debating European Politics: Advances and Perspectives" is out!🎉
"The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi, describing contemporary populism is likely to be a temporary phenomen.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2591874
"The rise of populism and the new cleavage" by Hanspeter Kriesi, describing contemporary populism is likely to be a temporary phenomen.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2025.2591874
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
🧠 How inaccurate are public perceptions of immigration?
➡️ @lutzphilipp.bsky.social & M Bitschnau show that many supposed misperceptions are actually guesses, offering a sharper way to study how perceptions shape political attitudes www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #FirstView
➡️ @lutzphilipp.bsky.social & M Bitschnau show that many supposed misperceptions are actually guesses, offering a sharper way to study how perceptions shape political attitudes www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #FirstView
December 8, 2025 at 12:47 PM
🧠 How inaccurate are public perceptions of immigration?
➡️ @lutzphilipp.bsky.social & M Bitschnau show that many supposed misperceptions are actually guesses, offering a sharper way to study how perceptions shape political attitudes www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #FirstView
➡️ @lutzphilipp.bsky.social & M Bitschnau show that many supposed misperceptions are actually guesses, offering a sharper way to study how perceptions shape political attitudes www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #FirstView
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Use of mental health medications in the population of Swedish PhD students is 40% higher than a matched sample by the fifth PhD year.
Be kind to PhD students. Don't take up PhD students you can't invest in. Alert prospective students of the reality of a PhD.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Be kind to PhD students. Don't take up PhD students you can't invest in. Alert prospective students of the reality of a PhD.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
December 6, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Use of mental health medications in the population of Swedish PhD students is 40% higher than a matched sample by the fifth PhD year.
Be kind to PhD students. Don't take up PhD students you can't invest in. Alert prospective students of the reality of a PhD.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Be kind to PhD students. Don't take up PhD students you can't invest in. Alert prospective students of the reality of a PhD.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
RFK Jr.'s claim that COVID vaccines are deadly? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. In this new extraordinarily large study, vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 and a 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those unvaccinated. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination and 4-Year All-Cause Mortality Among Adults in France
This cohort study uses the data from all adults aged 18 to 59 years living in France on November 1, 2021, to evaluate whether there is an association of receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine with long-t...
jamanetwork.com
December 7, 2025 at 8:08 PM
RFK Jr.'s claim that COVID vaccines are deadly? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. In this new extraordinarily large study, vaccinated individuals had a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 and a 25% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those unvaccinated. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
Single-district PR is a different kind of bad indeed. But there is much in-between FPTP and extreme PR that is, also in my view, much better for the quality of democracy. Whether even the best one of those options can make a democracy truly populist-proof in today's world? I doubt it.
I am happy my country has the most proportional system in the world so that we have no problem with far-right parties or far/right governments. 🇳🇱
Every week, more voices in the media are coming out against First Past the Post.
@fromtga.bsky.social is right: FPTP could allow any kind of dangerous populist to take power on a minority of the vote, or by taking over the ruling party.
PR would help safeguard our democracy.
@fromtga.bsky.social is right: FPTP could allow any kind of dangerous populist to take power on a minority of the vote, or by taking over the ruling party.
PR would help safeguard our democracy.
December 2, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Single-district PR is a different kind of bad indeed. But there is much in-between FPTP and extreme PR that is, also in my view, much better for the quality of democracy. Whether even the best one of those options can make a democracy truly populist-proof in today's world? I doubt it.
Reposted by Sam D. Schmid
What happens when a minority decides for the majority?
On Sunday, Swiss citizens head to the polls again. But Switzerland remains one of the most exclusionary democracies in the OECD.
In highly cosmopolitan places like Basel-Stadt, only 50.5% of all residents were entitled to vote (as of 2024)
On Sunday, Swiss citizens head to the polls again. But Switzerland remains one of the most exclusionary democracies in the OECD.
In highly cosmopolitan places like Basel-Stadt, only 50.5% of all residents were entitled to vote (as of 2024)
November 27, 2025 at 8:01 AM
What happens when a minority decides for the majority?
On Sunday, Swiss citizens head to the polls again. But Switzerland remains one of the most exclusionary democracies in the OECD.
In highly cosmopolitan places like Basel-Stadt, only 50.5% of all residents were entitled to vote (as of 2024)
On Sunday, Swiss citizens head to the polls again. But Switzerland remains one of the most exclusionary democracies in the OECD.
In highly cosmopolitan places like Basel-Stadt, only 50.5% of all residents were entitled to vote (as of 2024)