This spring, I had the honor of giving the 2026 @ecpr.bsky.social Stein Rokkan Lecture. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5V... Based on joint work with @dpzollinger.bsky.social, @simonbornschier.bsky.social, I argued that the lens of cleavage politics is most useful to study democratic resilience.

Our book Trigger Points is now out in open access. Huge thanks to Mike Savage for a terrific foreword and to Michèle Lamont, Silja Häusermann and Daniel Ziblatt for their kind words. Link below: @mikesavagelse.bsky.social @mlamont.bsky.social @siljahausermann.bsky.social @dziblatt.bsky.social

We have a new paper out in PNAS. Susanna’s thread outlines our findings. The big picture takeaway is that well-designed climate education (active, personally relevant, science-based) can complement fiscal and regulatory instruments by building public support for ambitious policy!

Opinie: Wat doen we met de belastingvluchtelingen uit Dubai? Alsnog de schatkist laten vullen

A recent debate on the left pits “abundance” vs “anti-monopoly” Is the problem that we've made it too hard to build? Or that extractive corporations dominate the economy? My new paper argues: both reflect a deeper shift. We've entered an economy oriented toward scarcity—the Anti-Growth Machine.

Partisans, what partisans? Research by @jonadejong.bsky.social & Baldassari suggests that, contrary to earlier research using fictitious settings, in real encounters, Republicans and Democrats experience partisanship mostly as invisible and not something they find particularly important:

For those following along, some thoughts on Thurner et al.'s reply to our critique to their "connectivity causes polarization" claim. At first sight, this looks like a solid rejoinder, perhaps even justifying the mildly sarcastic tone. Upon closer inspection, not so much. So, another thread... 1/

Happy to share our new paper published in PNAS! Using epigenetic clocks and egocentric network data, we find each additional "hassler" in your close social network is associated with ~9 months of extra biological age and 1.5% faster pace of aging.

NEW PUBLICATION “How the Media Cordon Sanitaire Crumbles: Lessons from Germany” now out in @prxjournal.bsky.social 🔓 doi.org/10.1080/2474736X.2026.2621808 I’m very happy that this paper is out – this project is particularly important to me.

My brother wanted a London pub crawl. The result? My new Substack post: "Britain Lost 14,000 Third Places. They were Called Pubs. Is Your Local Next?" How private equity reshaped the local, which pubs are most at risk and most importantly what to do about it. open.substack.com/pub/laurenle...

📢WORK! At the Sociology department of @utrechtuniversity.bsky.social we are hiring a postdoc who will work on applications of AI in sociological research. Join our vibrant-yet-cohesive research community doing cutting-edge research. Please share or apply! www.uu.nl/en/organisat...

Earlier, I voiced my doubts here about a recent PNAS paper claiming that an alleged "rise in connectivity" explains an increase in polarization. PNAS was kind enough to publish our comments this week: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

This is paper is a good reminder that political scientists all too often think people care as much about politics as they do.

The US is often seen as an extreme case where polarization erodes democracy bc partisanship now permeates all everyday sociability and affects. But this is now being contradicted by a whole number of studies. Besides the really interesting new work by @jonadejong.bsky.social, there is... (quick 🧵)

Nice to see this shown empirically. I suppose many colleagues had this prior. Spot on.

Do ordinary Republicans and Democrats really avoid each other in everyday life? In a new working paper with Delia Baldassarri, we present descriptive and experimental evidence to challenge the view that partisanship drives the formation of social relationships. osf.io/preprints/so... 1/15

We stress the importance of social structure for polarization along a new cleavage --> policies shaping network segregation matter! Also see this paper by @jonadejong.bsky.social @jonnekamphorst.bsky.social who come to similar conclusions based on different data/countries. tinyurl.com/47edtwtc

How are contemporary cleavage structures stabilized in times of declining mass social and political organizations? In this new paper with @davidattewell6.bsky.social @bjpols.bsky.social, we suggest that homogeneous social (educational) networks provide part of the answer. tinyurl.com/49cs8jwp

It's Monday morning, so time to share my new Substack: open.substack.com/pub/laurenle... (caution: I'm very far from being a sociologist so pls do provide feedback)

@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: 🧵⬇️

🎉 Congrats to @jonadejong.bsky.social for winning the 2025 Linz‑Rokkan Prize for the best EUI thesis in Political Sociology! His work sheds new light on how social networks shape divides and reduce partisan hostility. 👏 Read more 👉 www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=...

New publication in @sociologicalsci.bsky.social with Delia Baldassarri. We show that in the US, social relationships remain politically heterogeneous, and that heterogeneous close ties and acquaintances lower partisan animosity through distinct mechanisms. A thread on the main findings:

Where's Wally? No, that's me proudly celebrating four great PhD students flying out! @awaldendorf.bsky.social @jonadejong.bsky.social Pedro Martin and Anna Clemente @eui-eu.bsky.social @eui-sps.bsky.social

I have a new paper out in @wepsocial.bsky.social: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... The paper situates discussions about the Educational Cleavage in a longer temporal context (back to the Medieval time) to show that there have ALWAYS been conflicts between educational groups. (1/3)

Very happy that my doctoral thesis was awarded the EUI's Linz Rokkan Prize in Political Sociology. I am grateful to my supervisors, Hanspeter Kriesi and @arnoutvanderijt.bsky.social, and @eui-sps.bsky.social's amazing research ecosystem. The thesis can be read here (cadmus.eui.eu/entities/pub...)

Only 10 days left to apply for this phd position on education-based identities, status, and political attitudes! Open to those interested in sociology, social psychology, political science, communication science or indeed a combination of all. jobs.vub.be/job/Elsene-P...

For today’s edition of @volkskrant.nl, I talked to @loesreijmer.bsky.social about my work on the normalization of far-right views and what that means for European democracies. If you’re interested, you can find the text here: www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/h...

🚨 Jobs 🚨 Two tenure-track Assistant Professor positions in IR and EU Politics over at UvA (Amsterdam, NL). Check them out here: werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

Join our wonderful department!

Tax cuts for the rich lead to higher income inequality. However, they do not have any significant effect on economic growth or unemployment. Empirical evidence for advanced economies over 1965-2015:

🚨3-Year Postdoc Position in Zurich @ipz.bsky.social ❓Political implications of labor market transformation Plenty of flexibility, no teaching obligations, great research environment in an highly livable city. Deadline: May 18, 2025. tinyurl.com/postdoczurich #polisky #poliscijobs #psjminfo

In the latest issue of @cpsjournal.bsky.social, my article with Jonne Kamphorst in which we propose that educationally homogeneous social networks contribute to the stabilization of political conflict on the cultural dimension. A short thread on the main findings: Link: doi.org/10.1177/0010...

I AM HIRING 2 postdocs (5 years) in my @erc.europa.eu project "The Politics of the Latent Educational Cleavage" at @goetheuni.bsky.social @infer-frankfurt.bsky.social! German call: www.fb03.uni-frankfurt.de/170856927.pdf English call: www.goethe-university-frankfurt.de/170858269.pdf Please share

I am looking to hire a post-doctoral researcher to work with me in a project on social cleavages and political party competition in Europe: lu.varbi.com/en/what:job/... Happy to answer any questions, and thanks in advance for circulating the call!

Veel berichten over de opkomst van populistisch rechts gaan over manieren om kiezers op andere gedachten te brengen: alsof alleen zíj moeten veranderen. Terwijl je ook de gevolgen van je eigen hoogopgeleide positie eens wat vaker zou kunnen onderzoeken. Mijn eerste stuk voor @decorrespondent.nl

@liesbethooghe.bsky.social & Gary Marks measure the extent to which political parties on the contemporary socio-cultural divide are cleavaged. doi.org/10.1080/0140... Part of the forthcoming Special Issue "Cleavage Politics in Western Democracies". #polisky #academicsky

We are hiring an Assistant Professor in International Relations, join us in Amsterdam werkenbij.vu.nl/vacatures/as...

‼️ Hiring ‼️ Two (!) positions in my group at @ipz.bsky.social in Zurich 📣 1 postdoc position (3+3 years) 📣 1 PhD position (3,5 years) Application deadline in early March. Job ads & details: tinyurl.com/3p6yhptk We are an international and friendly department with excellent working conditions

Ik schreef een essay voor @trouw.nl over een herzuiling langs opleidingslijnen en de politieke gevolgen. Hier online te lezen, morgen in het weekendmagazine Tijdgeest! www.trouw.nl/ts-bc366589/

⚠️ Six-year position at our department - work in lovely Vienna with a friendly team, 2 classes a term, and follow/develop your own research agenda. Feel free to ask me questions you might have. Deadline 24/01/25 jobs.univie.ac.at/job/Universi...

Today, feeling close to cosmopolitans or feminists separates voters of the left from right voters who identify with people who are down to earth and hard working. Yet, these identities do have structural roots, just like class identities did. Our short CUP book on cleavage formation is out in OA.

Are starter packs still a thing? With all the European University Institute newcomers today I made a list of institutional and personal accounts I found so far. (Happy to update with new suggestions) Reply, share, and like to facilitate connections! 🙏 go.bsky.app/KGSw4gL

Hi there 👋, this is the blue sky over Florence, seen from the European University Institute! We’ve just landed here 🚀 and can’t wait to connect with all of you. Follow us to get the latest on research, events, and EUI campus life! 📲 @eui-eu.bsky.social

WORKING PAPER: Short-Term Mobility and Changes in Political Norms with @valentimvicente.bsky.social 🌐Link: osf.io/preprints/os... Our interconnected world fosters unprecedented flows of people, goods, and ideas. Can this also reshape perceptions of what is politically acceptable? 🧵

My book “The Normalization of the Radical Right” has recently come out in the US. If you're interested, in this thread I’ll link different ways of learning about the book and its argument (I’ll keep adding if more come out). First, here is the link to the book: academic.oup.com/book/57946

Here are a few lists of sociologists in no particular order. Slant towards German and quantitative sociologists. #socsky go.bsky.app/Kr3Rj1D go.bsky.app/EAwwzdk go.bsky.app/EAwwzdk go.bsky.app/Ugw67cP go.bsky.app/9WAVGNd go.bsky.app/4aZkRmJ go.bsky.app/81Hby5t

I am made starter pack of 90 political scientists in the Netherlands / Dutch political scientists go.bsky.app/LJXVEGC

Can cross-partisan discussions reduce political polarization? Even when people disagree? In a new publication, just out in Nature Communications Psychology, I study these questions with an experiment in the UK. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44271-023-00051-8. (1/7)