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Simon Bornschier

@simonbornschier.bsky.social

490 followers 490 following 20 posts

Political Scientist @University of Zurich https://www.simon-bornschier.eu

www.simon-bornschier.eu

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Feb 7

How do voters navigate fragmenting party landscapes with parties behaving in an ever more strategic matter? In this short CUP book‬, we suggest that group identities mediate the link between social structure and ideological party blocks.
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Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · Dec 11

New Cambridge Element 'Cleavage Formation in the 21st Century' by Simon Bornschier, @lhaffert.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, Marco Steenberge & @dpzollinger.bsky.social out now!

Read #OpenAccess here: cup.org/3ZLtQ0o

#cambridgeelements #politics

Cover image of Cleavage Formation in the 21st Century' by Bornschier et al

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

David Attewell @davidattewell6.bsky.social · 1d

@dpzollinger.bsky.social and I are thrilled "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies" is out as an SI at @wepsocial.bsky.social!

Its papers explore the foundations of the cleavage pitting new left against radical right parties, and how it compares to the classic cleavages of Lipset & Rokkan:

🧵⬇️

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · 1d

Congratulations!

Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Sep 2

Looking back to some excellent panels and fruitful discussions with colleagues and friends at #ecprgc25 in vibrant Thessaloniki!

Ioannis Andreadis @andreadis.bsky.social · Sep 2

Perceived Group Representation as an Indicator of Cleavage Formation by @simonbornschier.bsky.social in the New Dimensions of Political Cleavages panel organized by @ecprpovb.bsky.social for @ecpr.bsky.social 2025 General Conference.

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Lea Kaftan @dielea.bsky.social · Aug 22

📄 🚨 New Research on Polarization, Fragmentation, and Democracy in @democratization.bsky.social

Nils-Christian Bormann and I explore the impact of ideological polarization and fragmentation on the democratic systems of interwar Europe: lnkd.in/erjJr9qF
#polarization #democracy #data #history (1/4)

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

lnkd.in

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Lara Zwittlinger @larazwittlinger.bsky.social · Aug 30

How do parties shape which issues are perceived as part of GAL-TAN?

In my paper presented at the ECPR General Conference in Thessaloniki, I delve into this question, focusing on climate change and LGBTQ rights.

Thank you @ecprpovb.bsky.social for a great section!

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Aug 29

Thank you for organizing!

Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Aug 26

Join us for the presentation “Perceived Group Representation as an Indicator of Cleavage Formation”, co-authored with @siljahausermann.bsky.social and @dpzollinger.bsky.social in the fantastic POVB @ecprpovb.bsky.social panel “New Dimensions of Political Cleavages”, #ecprgc25, Wednesday 8.30-10.15!

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Delia Zollinger @dpzollinger.bsky.social · Jul 29

Even in times of sociocultural conflict, a progressive left electorate is more averse to sociocultural *and* socioeconomic inequalities than (far) right voters.

New paper with @siljahausermann.bsky.social Palmtag @tabouchadi.bsky.social @stefwalter.bsky.social Berkinshaw
tinyurl.com/d42wyb79

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

This study is part of the excellent special issue on ‘Updating Cleavage Theory for the 21st century” that @davidattewell6.bsky.social ‬and @dpzollinger.bsky.social
have edited with @wepsocial.bsky.social

🙏

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

However: Voters in the right field with less particularistic group identities continue to opt for the mainstream right, suggesting that accommodating the far right would likely entail additional losses for mainstream right parties.

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

And among those voters who hold BOTH far and mainstream right parties in their consideration set, how salient economic-distributive issues are to them (relative to socio-cultural questions) explains actual choice only among the elderly.
IOW: the segmentation of the right field is eroding.

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

More surprisingly – and reason to worry for these parties – the mainstream right has lost its dominant position even among those younger voters…
• for whom economic-distributive issues are most salient and…
• who hold higher social status identities.

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

Unsurprisingly,
• the more salient cultural issues are to voters and…
• the more particularistic their identities…
the more likely they are to consider voting for far right parties. This pattern is similar across age groups, but weakest for the elderly.

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

What explains whether right-wing voters consider voting for
• only the mainstream right
• only the far right
• or both?
Using original survey data, we study how saliency, attitudes and identities relate to consideration sets and vote choice.
Important finding: the findings vary by age groups.

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Jul 8

How much competition within the right field?
❗Segmentation is eroding, especially among young voters❗
New article out by @siljahausermann.bsky.social ‪@dpzollinger.bsky.social
@mrsteenbergen.bsky.social and myself

@ipz.bsky.social @wepsocial.bsky.social

tinyurl.com/ycxfx2aj

A short 🧵

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Reto Bürgisser @retobuergisser.bsky.social · Jun 4

Can government policies moderate political backlash to structural change?

Yes, the effect operates through material benefits and social recognition.

🚨New WP by @retobuergisser.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, @thmskrr.bsky.social and @susanadptavares.bsky.social 🚨

shorturl.at/zFbZE

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Matthias Enggist @matthiasenggist.bsky.social · Mar 4

New publication in @wepsocial.bsky.social with @retobuergisser.bsky.social, @siljahausermann.bsky.social, and Michael Pinggera. We map the welfare preferences of voters at the poles of the second, GALTAN dimension of political conflict. 🧵

WEP Journal @wepsocial.bsky.social · Mar 3

Online first & open access:

"The welfare preferences of socially liberal and socially conservative voters"

by @matthiasenggist.bsky.social @retobuergisser.bsky.social @siljahausermann.bsky.social & Michael Pinggera

doi.org/10.1080/0140...

#Polisky #Academicsky

Abstract of the article "The welfare preferences of socially liberal and socially conservative voters" by Matthias Enggist, Reto Bürgisser, Silja Häusermann and Michael Pinggera. Published online first in West European Politics.

Figure 3, displaying AMCEs from conjoint experiment for people at the poles of the GALTAN dimension.

Figure 4, displaying the relationship of GALTAN attitudes with unconstrained importance attributed to social policies by age.

Figure 5, displaying AMCEs from conjoint experiment for people aged 70 (top panel) and people aged 30 (bottom panel), shown for the people at the poles of the GALTAN dimension.

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Rahel Freiburghaus @rfrbrghs.bsky.social · Feb 15

Not sure if the world is paying attention—Switzerland is small (though economically powerful). But while other Western leaders sharply criticized VP JD Vance’s speech at the #MSC / in Munich, the current Swiss president largely approved it, interpreting it as „a plea for direct democracy“ polisky

Philipp Burkhardt @philippburkhardt.bsky.social · Feb 15

"Das war eine sehr liberale Rede", sagt Bundespräsidentin Karin Keller-Sutter über die Rede von US-Vizepräsident @jdvanceoffical.bsky.social an der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz: "In einem gewissen Sinne war sie sehr schweizerisch, weil er sagt, man müsse auf die Bevölkerung hören". (1/5)

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Feb 14

An excellent analysis by Steven Levitsky & Lucan Way on the prospects for democracy in the US under Trump II, with a lot of comparative insight. A sobering view, yet underlining that polarization may not only be a danger, but paradoxically also a safeguard for liberal democray.

Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · Feb 11

“Worn down by harassment and threats, many of Trump’s critics will be tempted to retreat to the sidelines. Such a retreat would be perilous. When fear, exhaustion, or resignation crowds out citizens’ commitment to democracy, emergent authoritarianism begins to take root.”

The Path to American Authoritarianism

What comes after democratic breakdown.

www.foreignaffairs.com

Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Endre Borbáth @eborbath.bsky.social · Jan 15

🚨 Job Alert! 🚨

I’m looking for a postdoc to join my Emmy Noether project on the New Climate Divide! 🌍

🔍 It is a 3-year position with a likely extension for another 3 years & no teaching obligations

📄 Check out the job call: uni-heidelberg.de/md/politik/p...

Thanks for sharing! 🤝

uni-heidelberg.de

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Reposted by Simon Bornschier

Linus Westheuser @lwestheuser.bsky.social · Feb 14

This is also an amazing tool for tracking the social identities parties (try to) tap into! Typical voters are not identified by political profiles but via brands, bands, lifestyles,... Ping
@dpzollinger.bsky.social @simonbornschier.bsky.social @siljahausermann.bsky.social @magneflemmen.bsky.social

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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Feb 7

We @dpzollinger.bsky.social @mrsteenbergen.bsky.social @siljahausermann.bsky.social @lhaffert.bsky.social @simonbornschier.bsky.social are happy to see this come out.
A warm thank you to all those who provided feedback!

The book is #OpenAccess at cup.org/3ZLtQ0o

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Cleavage Formation in the 21st Century

Cambridge Core - European Studies - Cleavage Formation in the 21st Century

cup.org

Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Feb 7

Party systems have undoubtedly become more volatile and fragmented. Seeing the underlying stability in political behavior and the similarities across countries it produces requires focusing on voter alignments to ideological blocks, rather than individual parties.
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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Feb 7

But when parties talk about issues related to the universalism-particularism cleavage (for example, gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, immigration, or the EU), they speak to group identities that are widely shared in certain social structural groups.
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Simon Bornschier @simonbornschier.bsky.social · Feb 7

We started out with a puzzle: Political sociology shows that party preferences remain firmly anchored in social class, urban-rural residency, and, above all, education. Yet parties rarely appeal to these groups directly nowadays, and political behavior appears rather individualistic.
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