There are many days when I am so glad that I study European politics. Today is one of those days when I do not care enough or need to watch the SOTU.

And, here we go. No surprises but big disappointments every day: www.kut.org/education/20...

Overhead at the sauna room, as a young woman was conversing with an older woman: - I am a junior at Penn State - What are you doing here in Austin in the middle of the semester? - Oh, I am taking the semester off to open my third eye. - (perplexed) What's next? - Law school Gen Z to the core!

Inspired by @mcopelov.bsky.social I asked my small, all senior comparative parties class what their first political memory was: several Obama 2012 reelection, 1 Obama 2008, 1 bin Ladin’s capture, 1 arab spring (she is from UAE). So glad nobody said 2016 Trump!

So, now what stops Turkey from taking over Syria, Russia from taking over Ukraine, and China from taking over Taiwan? US?

WTF?!!


📢 Since launching EPSS in June 2025, we’ve been thrilled by the positive feedback from across the political science community. Now that Call for Papers for EPSS Conference in Belfast has closed, we want to share the response has been extraordinary! 🧵

🔥 When fancy faculty @zeynsom.bsky.social coauthor with fancy alum @josephfcozza.bsky.social in fancy journals. Congrats.

Lesbian and gay party leaders receive lower leadership evaluations than straight leaders in the UK, and the effects are consistent across genders. Interesting yet discouraging findings in our BJPS paper. @josephfcozza.bsky.social @gdilandro.bsky.social Andrea Aldrich @utgovernment.bsky.social

It was great to host the Comparative Representation in Advanced Parliamentary Democracies workshop at UT. It is always fun and inspiring to hear about the cutting-edge research. @utgovernment.bsky.social

Senator Merkley is on hour 20 of reading How Democracies Die, mixed w commentary, on u.s. senate floor

Proud to have not one -- but TWO -- UT Austin PhDs on this list. Congratulations Oguzhan Alkan @oguzhan-alkan.bsky.social (advisor: @zeynsom.bsky.social; BA: @buicinmezunlar.bsky.social) and Allison Verrilli @averrilli.bsky.social (advisor: @hlw.bsky.social; BA: @notredame.bsky.social). Hook'em.

Such a great honor for such a superb dissertation! Congratulations @oguzhan-alkan.bsky.social @utgovernment.bsky.social

I can't believe it's been ONLY eight months

Still confused about EPSA vs. EPSS? Which conference should you go to? Here is a link to clarify things: epssnet.org/uncategorize... TL;DR: "EPSA" community will be in Belfast. Same community, new organisation, bigger mission; slightly new name; and a very different foundation @epssnet.bsky.social

Looking forward to seeing your paper, panel, roundtable etc. proposals for the Party Politics section of EPSS. Don't forget: submissions are due on November 7, and the conference will take place in Belfast on June 18-20. @epssnet.bsky.social @sarahwagner.bsky.social

Are you interested in how parties' parliamentary behavior (e.g., passing bills, calling for elections, forming coalitions, cooperating/conflicting) affects voters (e.g., electoral behavior, perceptions, affective polarization)? Please let me know. I am putting together an MPSA panel proposal.

Come and learn about party communication, today at noon! 🙌

Do you want to know more about how parties use social media/internet? The Political Parties' Online Communication Strategies in Election Campaigns panel is at 12pm today, @rdassonneville.bsky.social @zeynsom.bsky.social @christinagahn.bsky.social @jaeheejung.bsky.social @apsa.bsky.social #APSA25

Congrats to our award winners!

how can a conference venue top this ever? #APSA25 @apsa.bsky.social

If you're attending #APSA2025 and interested in applying for a job at IE (see below), @guillermotoral.com, Zoe Xincheng Ge, and me will be at the Career Open House today at 4pm. Consider dropping by! connect.apsanet.org/apsa2025/car...

Since June, the Council and the diversity committee have been working hard to ensure EPSS is the best European PSCI association for all of us. Now it is time to make the Belfast conference a huge success. Join, apply, spread the word!

📣 APSA-POP Section Business Meeting 🗓️ Fri, Sept 12 • ⏰ 12:00 PM (Vancouver, PT) 📍 Vancouver, BC (room info TBA) All members welcome—bring a colleague! 🤝 Agenda includes reports, updates, and awards 🏆 #APSA25 @apsa.bsky.social

🚨 New Working Paper 🚨 I’m excited to share a new working paper, co-authored with @bethsimas.bsky.social and @zeynsom.bsky.social : “Candidate Gender and Position Switching” Full paper here 👉 www.researchgate.net/publication/... 🧵

Please share this thread. It is important that political scientists, in Europe and across the world, understand why EPSS exists and why we are encouraging people to attend our inaugural conference, in Belfast next June.

Participating in a for-profit conference (EPSA) can be problematic in the context of German academia, as it may be interpreted as commissioning a service without a proper public tender... joining #EPSS makes it easy to avoid trouble!

Please read and share with your communities. 💌

I can't wait to see #Belfast and support an academic non-profit environment. #EPSS

You can already submit your paper and panel proposal for EPSS next year. Looking forward to seeing many people in Belfast. I will be there.

Feels like a good time to share this call for papers. Can't wait for EPSS 2026!

Join us in Belfast in June 2026 for the first EPSS conference! It will be epic!

🚨 🚨 🚨 New OA publication in Research&Politics @respol.bsky.social.bsky.social‬ out today: #Islamophobia in Western Europe is unrelated to ✝️ #religiosity but highly correlated with #farright attitudes. A short 🧵 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

It has been such a pleasure to serve as Kendall's dissertation chair. She defended her dissertation on the perceptual consequences of parties' coalitional behavior and is on her way to start as an assistant professor at Ole Miss. From 🤘 to Hotty Dotty! Big congrats, @kendallcurtis.bsky.social!

The country now seems to have fully transitioned into an authoritarian, neo-fascist regime. From this point on, anything is possible.

In Turkey, it appears that the process of completely eliminating the opposition has begun. We weren’t expecting it to go this far, but it seems the palace circle has made its decision.

Last week, with 11 other colleagues I look up to, we did something major & formed a new non-profit association, @epssnet.bsky.social . It is a lot of work and can only be successful if people support it. Please consider becoming a member today & let us know if you want to be involved.

Just joined @epssnet.bsky.social! If you have doubts or are hesitating, read the EPSA reform working group's report 👇. It outlines the problems with the existing EPSA model - that many may not have been aware of. Thanks to the EPSS founders for creating this public good! epssnet.org/wp-content/u...

Yesterday EPSS was founded, today we answer members’ questions. A 🧵 1. Who formed EPSS? EPSS was founded by a supermajority vote of the EPSA Council, made up of 3 EPSAL shareholders & 9 elected, appointed, or ex officio members. 1/

One of the shareholders actually supports the not-for-profit model here: bsky.app/profile/zeyn...

If you have not read @kenbenoit.bsky.social statement, please do! And support @epssnet.bsky.social by becoming a member today! www.linkedin.com/pulse/suppor...

political scientists democratising their institutions in the age of backsliding, talk about leading by example

I’m very much looking forward to be part of this important roundtable on mental health in academia at 11.20 am today. Do join us. I’l be discussing what supervisors, mentors & institutions can do to support mental well being of their students & colleagues.

Thanks to the new/old EPSS Council and President for making this happen! This is very good news for Political Science in Europe. See you all in Belfast next year and let’s make the EPSS a success! 👇

If at EPSA and is interested in or experienced mental health challenges in academia, join us at 11:20am today in Auditorium for a roundtable on mental health in academia. #EPSA @epsanet.bsky.social

EPSA Roundtable on CEE+Turkish politics is starting in 10 minutes. If you are into democratic backsliding, social movements, protests, media freedom, join us in the Auditorium. #EPSA @epsanet.bsky.social

Great news for political science in Europe! Excited to be part of the founding council of the new non-profit and member-led political science association in Europe EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social

EPSA will continue to exist under the for-profit model and may organize its own activities, but a supermajority on the EPSA Council felt that a not-for-profit serves the community much better. Hence the move to an alternative society under a new name (and unfortunately no money…). Do join!

Excited about this new direction and looking forward to Belfast 2026!