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Sven Hegewald

@svenhegewald.bsky.social

1.3K followers 460 following 33 posts

Postdoc in Political Science, ETH Zurich | Political behavior; European politics; Political geography

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

Just out in @cpsjournal.bsky.social 🚨
Together with @dschraff.bsky.social, I ask: Is the urban–rural divide in Europe affectively polarised?
👉 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
1/7 🧵

Is the Urban-Rural Divide Affectively Polarised? Comparative Evidence from Nine European Countries - Sven Hegewald, Dominik Schraff, 2025

Recent studies in the United States and Europe have documented a growing divergence in voting behaviour and political attitudes between cities and the countrysi...

journals.sagepub.com

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 6d

Thanks Roberto!! 🎉

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

In sum: studying affective polarisation along the urban–rural divide is key. It tells us whether differences between cities and the countryside amount to a full-fledged cleavage — rooted in identity — and deepens our understanding of how place itself fuels political conflict. 7/7

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

Crucially, these affective divides also map onto politics: Urbanites with stronger in-group bias tend to support GAL parties (Green/Alternative/Libertarian). Ruralites with stronger in-group bias lean toward TAN parties (Traditional/Authoritarian/Nationalist). 6/7

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

Residential mobility also matters: Urbanites who grew up in rural areas but later moved to cities are less polarised. Divided loyalties dampen affective divides — helping explain why ruralites are consistently more polarised than urbanites. 5/7

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

Feelings of place-based identity and resentment fuel these divides. The more strongly people identify with their place — and the more they feel it is being left behind — the more they favour their in-group over the out-group. 4/7

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

Using original survey data from 9 European countries 🇨🇿🇩🇰🇫🇷🇩🇪🇬🇷🇭🇺🇮🇹🇵🇱🇪🇸, we find clear evidence of affective polarisation along the urban–rural divide. Rural residents show stronger in-group bias, but urbanites, too, often favour their own. 3/7

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

We know cities and the countryside differ in voting behaviour and attitudes. But do urbanites and ruralites also dislike each other? We introduce the concept of place-based affective polarisation to capture these biases. 2/7

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · 7d

Just out in @cpsjournal.bsky.social 🚨
Together with @dschraff.bsky.social, I ask: Is the urban–rural divide in Europe affectively polarised?
👉 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....
1/7 🧵

Is the Urban-Rural Divide Affectively Polarised? Comparative Evidence from Nine European Countries - Sven Hegewald, Dominik Schraff, 2025

Recent studies in the United States and Europe have documented a growing divergence in voting behaviour and political attitudes between cities and the countrysi...

journals.sagepub.com

2 15 64

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Jun 7

Had a fantastic time presenting co-authored work with @dianebolet.bsky.social and @tabouchadi.bsky.social on the political effects of the green transition in rural communities. Thank you very much for having me!

dec-gr.bsky.social @dec-gr.bsky.social · Jun 6

Today, we concluded our two-day workshop on Political Behaviour and Public Opinion. Many thanks to all presenters and participants for the inspiring discussions and contributions!

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · May 7

Thanks Roman!

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Feb 19

I'm not sure how helpful the debate between context and composition really is. After all, composition itself contributes to context—shaping the social and cultural fabric of a place. Even if compositional effects are significant, place as a social identity can still be meaningful.

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 4

TL;DR: Place is not just where we live—it shapes how we think about politics and society. Understanding the urban-rural divide is key to grasping polarization in European politics today. 🏙️🏞️ (6/6)

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 4

Lastly, in a third paper, I show that urbanites and ruralites view each other as opposing groups, tied to stereotypes around class, education, and political attitudes. These perceptions deepen the urban-rural divide and fuel political polarization. (5/6)
🔗 osf.io/preprints/os...

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 4

In a second paper, @dschraff.bsky.social‬ and I develop the concept of place-based affective polarization. Rural and urban groups strongly identify with their in-groups while disliking out-groups, driving voting behavior along the transnational cleavage. (4/6)
🔗 osf.io/preprints/os...

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 4

In a paper published in JEPP, I find that local institutions act as a safe haven for those experiencing place-based resentment. Rural residents distrust national institutions more but maintain trust in local governance, especially in countries with high local autonomy. (3/6)
🔗 tinyurl.com/49zszx9u

Locality as a safe haven: place-based resentment and political trust in local and national institutions

Recently, an emerging body of research has diagnosed a ‘crisis of trust’ in rural and peripheral areas. Yet, the majority of these works overlook local institutions as a potential alternative sourc...

tinyurl.com

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 4

Urban and rural residents increasingly view politics—and each other—through the lens of place. Rural voters often favor the radical right, while urban voters back the new left. This behavior is deeply rooted in place as a powerful marker of group membership. (2/6)

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 4

The urban-rural divide is back in European politics. My dissertation explores how place-based identities, resentments, and affective polarization shape this divide—and what it means for political attitudes and behavior. A short 🧵 on my main findings: (1/6)

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Nov 20

Sure, just sent you an email!📧

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Nov 20

Just wrapped up a fantastic visit to Aalborg University, where I presented my research on the political effects of regional accents. Huge thanks to @dschraff.bsky.social for hosting me and for the super helpful feedback! 🙌

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Nov 19

Out now as open access in the EPSR 🎉

Dominik Schraff @dschraff.bsky.social · Nov 19

Collective societal threats often lead to a short-lived boost in trust towards political institutions. This rally effect, however, is stronger in some contexts than in others. In a new study, @svenhegewald.bsky.social and I show that ethnic diversity of local context shapes the size of rally effects

Ethnic diversity and political trust at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic | European Political Science Review | Cambridge Core

Ethnic diversity and political trust at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

www.cambridge.org

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Jan 24

Merci, Roberto 😊

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Jan 22

Super happy to see this paper published in EJPR 🎉

Using an ‘Unexpected Event during Survey Design’ identification strategy in 🇲🇫 & 🇩🇪 Dominik Schraff and I show a negative effect of the Qatargate scandal on public trust in the European Parliament 🇪🇺

Link: ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12654

Wiley Online Library requires cookies for authentication and use of other site features; therefore, cookies must be enabled to browse the site. Detailed information on how Wiley uses cookies can be fo...

ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 18

Thanks so much, Catherine!

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 18

Merci, Michael 🎉

Sven Hegewald @svenhegewald.bsky.social · Dec 18

Lastly, I would like to thank @catherinedevries.bsky.social @twanhuijsmans.bsky.social @pitrieger.bsky.social @micastre.bsky.social @sofiavasilopoulou.bsky.social and many others for their great feedback along the way. (9/9)

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