Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Dan Silverman wrote a nice thread on our JOP paper examining the effects of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum on attitudes. 120
Reposted by Laia Balcellsstevelevitsky.bsky.social @stevelevitsky.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Lucan Way and I have been writing about competitive authoritarianism for more than 25 years. We never thought we'd write this piece. www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/com...journalofdemocracy.orgCompetitive Authoritarianism in America | Journal of DemocracyThe United States has slid into competitive authoritarianism. The slide has been modest and remains reversible—but it is real. Even after Donald Trump, American democracy will remain fragile. 10642342
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Ian Shapiro Says the Left’s “Preemptive Capitulation” to Neoliberalism Paved the Way for Populism democracyparadox.com/2026/09/30/i...democracyparadox.comIan Shapiro Says the Left's "Preemptive Capitulation" to Neoliberalism Paved the Way for Populism - Democracy ParadoxIan Shapiro explains how the left's preemptive capitulation to neoliberalism after the Cold War paved the way for today's populist backlash 010
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Thanks so much, Dan, for the shout out. And thanks, both, for engaging with this research. I agree that much more can be studied. 120
Reposted by Laia BalcellsDan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026They find weaker effects on attitudes toward Jews and antisemitism Some ⬆️ in feeling thermometer but it’s short term, and ⬇️ in stereotypes but only if you weren’t already warm toward Jews and its short term as well 172
Reposted by Laia BalcellsDan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Their premise is that the USHMM has both universal messages about democracy, appeasement, and atrocity prevention — and specific ones about Jews and antisemitism They find pretty solid effects on the former, especially opposition to appeasement and desire to prevent atrocities. “Never again” landed 1102
Reposted by Laia BalcellsDan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Does visiting a major Holocaust museum impact your political views? New study in JOP by @laiabalcells.bsky.social et al uses a field experiment at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to see They find a visit: -stokes more “never again” universalist views -has limited and fleeting fx on antisemitism 1289
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 29/09/2026"Consequential histories: A field experiment at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum" Just accepted at the Journal of Politics www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...journals.uchicago.eduConsequential histories: A field experiment at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum | The Journal of Politics: Vol 0, No ja 2207
Reposted by Laia BalcellsPaul Gardner @ppgardne.bsky.social · 08/09/2026I'm happy to say I have managed to report all 12 faked systematic reviews that we discovered on PubPeer. The corresponding URLs are in the ALT text. I'm awaiting responses from most of the publishers/authors -- other than one author admission: 2229
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Gen AI is clearly changing the way some researchers are working. Now more than ever we need to evaluate the quality of the contributions more than the number of contributions. And academic systems that tend to value more the latter than the former need to be changed. 0160
Reposted by Laia BalcellsNoah Zucker @noahzucker.com · 01/09/2026Princeton Niehaus Center (@niehauscenter.bsky.social) now accepting applications for 2027–28 postdoctoral fellowships: niehaus.princeton.edu/fellowships Deadline: Thursday, October 15, 2026niehaus.princeton.eduApply for our FellowshipsApply NowThe Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance (NCGG) at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs invites applications for postdoctoral research associates from ... 01416
Reposted by Laia BalcellsCrawford Kilian @crof.bsky.social · 30/08/2026They finally noticed: www.cbc.ca/news/health/...cbc.caStressed out about politics? It could be impacting your health | CBC NewsPolitical stress is a distinct type of stress that refers to how political events, decisions and actors, can cause anxiety, even depression, and other health impacts. Academics like a team of research... 19218
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Started the morning with my kids reading Coat of Many Colors (Imagination Library had sent us the book) and listening to her singing it. We then listened and sang "I will always love you". Thank you, Dolly Parton. R.I.P. 061
Reposted by Laia BalcellsDan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Article available here: doi.org/10.1017/S000...doi.orgNational Attachment, Past In-Group Perpetratorhood, and Out-Group Attitudes | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge CoreNational Attachment, Past In-Group Perpetratorhood, and Out-Group Attitudes - Volume 56 132
Reposted by Laia BalcellsDan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Interesting article by @laiabalcells.bsky.social @eliasdinas.bsky.social and Ethan vanderWilden out in BJPS on past perpetratorhood and prejudice They show that priming historical Spanish persecution of Jews generates sympathy among non-nationalistic Spaniards but backlash among strong nationalists 231
Reposted by Laia BalcellsKJ Shepherd @kjshepherd.bsky.social · 25/08/2026there will be many ways to celebrate dolly parton and the one I want to point out is that she was a friend of Miss Piggy 34104282557
Reposted by Laia BalcellsBrendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026Why we should NOT be reassured by the idea that Trump very likely won't be able to rig the election. The fact that he's trying is very, very bad and there's no guarantee he won't succeed. 16990216
Reposted by Laia BalcellsJoan Ricart-Huguet @ricarthuguet.bsky.social · 10/07/2026New pre-APSA "workshop": tennis social! 🎾 Wed Sep 2, 3–6pm at MIT, w/ @jguardado.bsky.social & @evlieb.bsky.social All levels welcome - even Djokovic fans 😜 Details + sign up (join list even if you can't make it this year): docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...docs.google.comPre-APSA tennis social at MITWhen: Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026, 3-6 pm. Where: MIT Outdoor Tennis Courts (Briggs, courts 7/8/9). 133 Amherst Alley, Cambridge, MA 02139 Organizers: Joan Ricart-Huguet (jricart-huguet@loyola.ed... 2164
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 15/08/2026I don't know anything about this story, but I know what it is like to be bullied on social media, as it happened to me once many years ago (led by a man who is still obsessed, apparently). There are very ugly people on the internet, unfortunately. 150
Reposted by Laia BalcellsHakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Sending love to friends who, like me, are feeling especially close to this tragedy today. There is so much I want to say, but for now, just sending love. Take care of yourselves. 126716
Reposted by Laia BalcellsAaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10/08/2026Trump: "Very importantly, vaccinations for hepatitis B, covid-19, and influenza, among others, are no longer recommended for all children" 327875244
Reposted by Laia BalcellsBritish Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · 08/07/2026From May 2026 - National Attachment, Past In-Group Perpetratorhood, and Out-Group Attitudes - cup.org/3Pe9gDf - @laiabalcells.bsky.social, @eliasdinas.bsky.social & Ethan vanderWilden #OpenAccess 0146
Reposted by Laia BalcellsFelipe De La Hoz @felipedlh.bsky.social · 07/07/2026I would love to hear a FIFA official explain why Argentina got that VAR review on Egypt’s goal scoring play and not vice versa. Not even why they didn’t grant Salah the penalty; maybe they wouldn’t have. But why no review? Why yes for one team and not for another? 119922
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 07/07/2026I don't know, I don't think Messi is an altruistic god. 040
Reposted by Laia BalcellsPerspectives on Politics @poppublicsphere.bsky.social · 07/07/2026NOW OUT ON FIRSTVIEW!! It’s Not #Polarization; It’s the #Radicalization of the #Political #Right By @pettertornberg.com doi.org/10.1017/S153... 03119
Reposted by Laia BalcellsMayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 27/06/2026When they said, "wear a suit," I just assumed… Find a public pool near you at nycgovparks.org. 572234873707
Reposted by Laia BalcellsChris Polansky @chrispolansky.bsky.social · 27/06/2026Cape Verde advance!!!!! From the Cape Verdean Association in Bridgeport, Connecticut 82221307
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 27/06/2026I thought it was a welcome to naturalized US citizens. 110
Reposted by Laia BalcellsThor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 26/06/2026If we can find the tallest animal in the world, we can do anything 61037
Reposted by Laia BalcellsBrendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Faculty are forever making fun of students for asking questions that are answered on the syllabus but if you’ve ever been to a faculty meeting you know that faculty constantly ask questions that are answered by the program handbook or departmental bylaws. Constantly (me included). 2475
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 24/06/2026From a PIIE policy brief: "Given the key role of STEM workers in US innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity growth, that decline would cut annual US real GDP by $240 billion to $481 billion within a decade." www.piie.com/publications...piie.comClass dismissed: The effect of international student exclusion on the US STEM workforce and economic growthRestrictive US government policies since 2025 have reduced international student enrollment in US universities and made it harder for foreign graduates to work in the United States. This shift, if sus... 010
Reposted by Laia BalcellsLaia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 22/06/2026The APSA conference program is now live: connect.apsanet.org/apsa2026/onl...connect.apsanet.orgOnline Program 051
Reposted by Laia BalcellsJacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Texas and Florida may have passed it by now, but Indiana was an early leader in dismantling academic freedom in its university system, and it certainly hasn't gotten any *better* just because other states have gotten worse. 714245
Reposted by Laia Balcellsjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 23/06/2026i think it is great that conservative students functionally work as a volunteer stasi for republican politicians and conservative media 11452761241
Reposted by Laia BalcellsLaia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 08/05/2026How does a nation's past impact its present? My latest research (joint with Elias Dinas and Ethan vanderWilden) explores in-group perpetratorhood. 2195
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 22/06/2026The APSA conference program is now live: connect.apsanet.org/apsa2026/onl...connect.apsanet.orgOnline Program 051
Reposted by Laia BalcellsMar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 18/06/2026thank goodness this isn’t a metaphor or anything 614938
Reposted by Laia BalcellsEvan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 16/06/2026gonna put this on my first slide next semester when I teach constitutional law 39213
Reposted by Laia BalcellsEdo Navot @edonavot.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Not sure about GenAI but high schoolers getting RA with profs is the current frontier in high income household strategies for resume padding for college applications so AI piling on makes sense. 001
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 16/06/2026A new thing is that they are now talking about one of the papers I published or my book; some of them even include it in the email subject. In this way, the impression is that they are very interested in my work. I am pretty sure genAI is giving them tips along these lines. 020
Reposted by Laia BalcellsSteven Van de Walle @stevenvdwalle.bsky.social · 09/06/2026Those are the worst - not responding. Declining to review - no problem, but please do it fast. Not responding - horrible for an editor and delays the process. But there is a special place in hell for people who accept a review request and then do not deliver or even ghost the journal. 001
Reposted by Laia BalcellsMichelle L. Dion @michelledion.bsky.social · 09/06/2026True. But in my APSR experience, there are some Big Names who never even respond to requests. At all. Really uncool. OTOH, some other Big Names are really lovely and do more than their share quickly. 221
Laia Balcells @laiabalcells.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Anyone else getting emails from undergraduates and high school students from around the world, reaching out for RAships, potential collaborations, etc.? I noticed a big increase in this kind of emails and I wonder if genAI has something to do with it. 380
Reposted by Laia BalcellsBrendan Cantwell @cantb.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Academic conferences should return to simple PDF and printed programs. The apps and conference management systems are very annoying and work very badly. Thank you for your attention to this matter. 1322028