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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 20h

Got Theory? Joel W. Simmons asks the question, is #democracy a boon for #economic #growth or a hindrance? Read how his article reviews the theoretical and empirical contributions and highlights some potential avenues for future research: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Namdae stream water reflection of colorful clouds from Wolhwagyo bridge in Gangneung South Korea.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Thomas J. Christensen explores the national #security benefits of US- #China #economic engagement and the regional economic integration of East Asia. Read his article “Mutually Assured Disruption: #Globalization, Security, and the Dangers of #Decoupling” here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Got Theory? In his WP 75th anniversary article, “The Comparative Politics of Inequality and Redistribution in Liberal Democracies,” Jonas Pontusson makes the case that we do not need to choose between the #Median-VoterTheorem and the proposition that the #rich rule. Read how: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Trends in income inequality since the mid-1990s.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It’s time to Hype that Hypothesis! Torben Iversen hypothesizes that #democracy transformed #capitalism, not the other way around. Read his WP 75th anniversary article that explains how we now have an inequalizing economic dynamic that’s proving difficult to reverse: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Light bulb drawing, representing knowledge economy

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Got Theory? sabrinabarias.bsky.social does. Her theory on who sets the #UN agenda, small or large powers, challenges the conventional theory that powerful states should dominate. Read about her two-step theory and why it matters: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Encode/Decode! evelynebrie.bsky.social and teele.bsky.social built #datasets from their case studies of #Quebec, #Austria, and #Argentina to challenge the traditional #gendergap theory. Read how their evidence from Catholic countries turns traditional theory upside down: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Figure 3: Four Facts about Women in Quebec

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Let’s Hype that Hypothesis! chitbazoo.bsky.social, cboix.bsky.social, Sonia Giurumescu, & Paulo Serôdio hypothesize how #British #elites expand the #franchise by relying on political and electoral calculations. Read their article “Democratizing from Within:” doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

The Houses of Parliament

Photo: Steve Daniels

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Got Theory? Brendan McElroy does. He theorizes that research failed to consider the #propertyrights in #preindustrial #Europe and how they greatly affected #economicgrowth. Read his full article on “Peasants and Parliaments” here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Atlas of Livonia, or of the Two Governments and Duchies Livonia and Estonia, and of the Province of Oesel
-Krause, Johann Wilhelm (1757-1828)

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Encode/Decode: Lauren Honig, adamsharris.bsky.social, and ellenlust.bsky.social use original #survey #evidence from #Malawi to show that #state reach is positively associated with the practice of #gender-equitable #propertyrights at the community and household levels. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

We’re here to Hype that Hypothesis! Yue Hou and Jieun Kim hypothesize that the presence of lawyers increases the likelihood of disagreement between #judges and #prosecutors in #authoritarian courts. Read about their case on Chinese criminal defense lawyers here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

It’s time to Hype that Hypothesis! dyzenhaus.bsky.social hypothesizes that #landholders in #SouthAfrica sell their #land in part because of preexisting #rural institutions & #social #structures. Read how the more things change, the more they stay the same in his article: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Biddulphsberg, near modern-day Senekal, in the Free State province of South Africa.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Got Theory? @kchriswell.bsky.social offers a theoretical explanation of citizens’ varied reactions to #criminal groups & why in some places #citizens accommodate while in others they engage in either #state-centered or nonstate #contestation. Read her case of #Mexico here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Let’s Hype that Hypothesis! davevitto.bsky.social, Sebastien Rojon, and jbpilet.bsky.social hypothesize that compared to other representational #paradigms, the paradigm resembling the #responsible #party #model reduces a candidates’ chances of being selected by #citizens. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Different Representational Styles in the Conjoint Experiment

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Got Theory? Handi Li does. Drawing from the Chinese case, Li theorizes that although #policy #transparency reveals whether governments violate laws, it encourages the use of #institutional #channels, rather than #protests, to resolve disputes. Read the full article: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Rural scene in northern China showing land cleared for cultivation.

Photo by John Coppi.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Encode/Decode! Today we look at how Alexander Baturo and rgolar23.bsky.social construct novel measures of #dismissals and #reshuffles in all autocratic cabinets between 1967 & 2020 to test their effect on dictators’ survival and the mechanisms underlying them. Full article: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

We’re here to Hype that Hypothesis! Timothy Hellwig and Tonya K. Dodez hypothesize that #voters will choose “unproven #challengers” rather than #incumbents when #economic underperformance is long and gov tenure is short. Read “Opposition Party Success in Hard Times” here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Red circular "I Voted" stickers on voter registration table

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Got Theory? Nikhar Gaikwad, kolbyhanson.bsky.social, and @aliz-toth.bsky.social do. Their theory suggests that #migrants value democracy for its political benefits. Read how they conducted a field experiment facilitating migration from #India to the #PersianGulf: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Immigration's effects on #redistribution preferences has mainly been studied in #Western countries. In their July article, Josep Serrano-Serrat & @jurado.bsky.social argue that #immigration shocks have different effects in #South-South #migration. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #welfarestate #Colombia

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Why & how did #elites in #GreatBritain expand the #franchise between 1830 & 1918? In their July article, @chitbazoo.bsky.social, @cboix.bsky.social, Sonia Giurumescu, & Paulo Serôdio develop a #theory of #democratization to answer this question. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #voting #data #MPs #voters

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Has #research failed to take into account the varied #property #rights in #preindustrial #Europe and how they affected #economic #growth? Brendan McElroy #theorizes it has in his July article. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #serfdom #Latvia #Russia #Estonia #archives #archival #parliament #elites #reform

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Are women voters more conservative than men? In their July article, @evelynebrie.bsky.social & @teele.bsky.social use #evidence from #Catholic countries to scrutinize & ultimately undermine the traditional #gender #gap #thesis. Read more: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #Quebec #Canada #Austria #Argentina

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Can small powers set the #UN agenda? @sabrinabarias.bsky.social assembled a #dataset of proposed agenda items & the tenure of small states' #ambassadors from 1946 to 2018 to support her argument that they can. Have a read of her article in the July issue: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #research #evidence

Colorful image of World Politics journal covers

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

The July issue is online!! It features articles from @sabrinabarias.bsky.social; @evelynebrie.bsky.social & @teele.bsky.social; Brendan McElroy; @chitbazoo.bsky.social, @cboix.bsky.social, Sonia Giurumescu, & Paulo Serôdio; and Josep Serrano-Serrat & @jurado.bsky.social. muse.jhu.edu/issue/57338

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Got Theory? yuvalfeinstein.bsky.social and Andreas Wimmer do. They explore the bellicist theory of state-building using war data based on a list of wars fought across the world since 1400. Read about their #systematic #model of #bargaining between #rulers and ruled:” doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Aircraft carrier USS Franklin (CV-13) attacked during World War II, March 19, 1945.

Photographed by PHC Albert Bullock from the cruiser USS Santa Fe (CL-60), which was alongside assisting with firefighting and rescue work.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Let's Hype that Hypothesis! Nikhar Gaikwad, Erin Lin, and @noahzucker.com #hypothesize that in societies facing abnormally high death rates among male soldiers and civilians, #cultural #norms about #gender #equality shift. Read about their case of the #Khmer #Rouge #genocide: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

A woman is cleaning some of the fish she has pulled out of the Tonlé Sap lake in Cambodia. Photo by HansenHimself

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

In today's Encode/Decode we feature Milan Svolik, who combined #qualitative and #quantitative evidence from the 2019 #Istanbul mayoral race with #experimental and #survey #data to explore when and how #voters punish #politicians for subverting #democracy. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Man placing a ballot in ballot box during a general election in Turkey, in front of a woman and two men who are observing the election.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Let’s Hype that Hypothesis! @rmkubinec.bsky.social and Helen V. Milner examine the #rentier #thesis to hypothesize about the Algerian government's subsidies for #fuel #resources and low #taxes during the mobilization for #regime change or #Hirak. #Algeria #protests doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

An image of two young men during the Algerian Hirak protests. 2019. Picture by Bachounda.

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Got Theory? Tobias Böhmelt does. Analyzing peacekeeping missions in post-Cold War #Africa, Böhmelt theorizes that missions can take on an #environmental protection orientation, and having #civilian personnel can help to enforce the environmental #regulations. #ClimatePolitics doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Sake, North Kivu, DRC: the fight against global warming also involves the reforestation of spaces. On the occasion of World Earth Day celebrated on April 22 each year, MONUSCO blue helmets organized various environmental protection awareness activities with young people and students in the localities of Nyanzale, Sake and Kiwanja in North Kivu. Here in Sake, a girl planting a tree for future generations. Photo credit: MONUSCO/Force

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The July issue is forthcoming! While you wait for its publication, have another read of our April issue. #autocrats #dictators #state #citizens #Mexico #race #segregation #SouthAfrica #gender #land #Malawi #law #lawyers #China muse.jhu.edu/issue/56725

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

We’re here to Hype that Hypothesis! Using the case of #Uganda, Kate Baldwin and Matthew S. Winters #hypothesize that the credit #politicians receive from #citizens for distributing #foreign #aid depends on #voter information & the aid oversight capacity of the #politician. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Got Theory? Gabriel Ondetti uses a comparative historical analysis of #Brazil, #Chile, and #Mexico to argue that #business #elites’ ability to act collectively depends in part on their #political #organization. Read his full argument here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Encode/Decode: Allison Carnegie, @rickyclark.bsky.social, @noahzucker.com use new #data to prove their theory that #populist #leadership helps to explain whether a state provides accurate information to #IOs. #anti-elitism #science #environment #PublicHealth doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Can societal actors challenge the #state within #authoritarian regimes? Yue Hou & Jieun Kim find that they can in their April WP article. They show that in #China, #lawyers can encourage #judge-#prosecutor disagreement and thereby reduce sentences in #drug cases. #data #law doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

It’s time to Hype that Hypothesis! Giuliana Pardelli’s hypotheses provide a broader examination of the role of #domestic #elites in the development of #state #power. Read her full article here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Why don't #government #laws & #policies always succeed in altering social institutions? In their April article, Lauren Honig, @adamsharris.bsky.social, & Ellen Lust use original #survey #data to show a case where they do: #gender-equitable land #rights in #Malawi. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Got Theory? Minju Kim and Robert Gulotty use a three-step approach to test their theory about why #political #incumbents fail to provide #compensation programs following an #economic #shock: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Encode/Decode! Sam Van Noort’s #data from 145 countries over 170 years show that #industrialization is strongly correlated with #democracy. Read about his new data set here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Industrialization, Mass Revolts by Industrial Workers, and Democracy

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Let’s Hype that Hypothesis! Can #partisan affiliations affect where #foreign #aid goes? Brian Min, Eugenio Arima, schooldaves.bsky.social, a2hicken.bsky.social, Ken Kollman, and joelselway.bsky.social test their hypotheses using #WorldBank #agricultural #aid to #India. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Got Theory? @chknutsen.bsky.social and @palinakolvani.bsky.social do. In their WP article they theorize how #regime type and #statecapacity shape the abilities and incentives of #political #leaders to respond to #COVID-19. Read their full article here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Today in Encode/Decode: Jeffrey A. Friedman uses a #preregistered #survey #experiment to show how #presidential #candidates use unpopular #foreign #policies to portray attractive personal traits. Read how it affects voters here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

How Candidates' Positions on Defense Spending Relate to Perceived Personal Traits

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Has #AI killed the #punctuation star---the em dash? Emphatically, no! As @npr.org reminded us more than a year ago: It's not its use per se that points to AI, it's its incorrect use. When used correctly, it can be a powerful punctuation mark---for the writer & reader. www.npr.org/2025/11/10/n...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Using interviews and #geospatial #data from two South African provinces, @dyzenhaus.bsky.social finds in his April article that landholders made #land #reform work for them and in doing so, "the redistribution of land reinforced past forms of #segregation." #race #SouthAfrica doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Got Theory? Mai Hassan and Kathleen Klaus theorize that the property rights gap in #Kenya is less likely to close in #autocratic #regimes compared to #democratic regimes. Learn more about the centrality of land to Keynan #politics here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Time for another Encode/Decode! We look into how Hans Lueders uses #data to test his theory that #regime change makes citizens' #political attitudes malleable. Read his full article, “When Democracy Brings Insecurity,” here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Average Democracy Satisfaction by Treatment Group and Region

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

It’s time to Hype that Hypothesis! In his article, “Concept Misformation in the Age of Democratic Anxiety,” Kurt Weyland hypothesizes that #political and #technological #developments may have contributed to terminological loosening. Discover what this means for all of us: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Do you follow WP author @kchriswell.bsky.social? While you are checking out her posts, have a read of her April issue article in which she uses the case of #Mexico to explore when and how #citizens organize to #resist #criminal group presence. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #StateCapacity #CivilSociety

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Got Theory? Andrew Rys and David A. Steinberg theorize that #globalization can have an even more profound impact on #partisan #politics, fully reversing the positions of left and right #parties. Read their full WP article here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Encode/Decode! Maayan Mor and Carles Boix employ #data to prove their hypothesis that #socialist #parties in #Europe nominated #working-class candidates where the share of working-class voters was close to the #electoral threshold needed to win a seat. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2... #vote

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Let’s Hype that Hypothesis! #Ethnic #nationalism is the main driver of the decline of #territorial state size WP authors Lars-Erik Cedarman, Luc Girardin, and Carl Müller-Crepon hypothesize. Take a look at their full article: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Trends in Mean State Size in Europe and Beyond

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World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Encode/Decode: Ali T. Ahmed, Marcus Johnson, & Mateo Vasquez-Cortes use original #data on the largest communal #land reform program undertaken in #LatinAmerica to test their theory that elites are more likely to target reforms meant for racially #marginalized beneficiaries. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Indigenous and Peasant Land Titling Event-Study Estimates, by Armed Actor Type

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