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CfA: PhD position in SNSF project on Democratic Commitment

WUNSCH Natasha

Fri, Oct 3, 2025 9:07 AM

Dear colleagues,

I am looking to hire a PhD researcher for a four-year position in my new project “Liberal Democratic Commitment in Europe: Mass Attitudes, Political Identities, and Behavioural Consequences”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (2025-2029). The project investigates citizens’ understandings of democracy and the way they inform their political identities and behaviour. Combining focus groups and survey-based methods, the project will:

Measure and map liberal democratic commitment across eight European countries
Assess to what extent democratic commitment amounts to a political identity for European citizens
Evaluate the behavioural consequences of variation in democratic commitment

The ideal candidate will have strong methods skills, specialized knowledge of democracy and political culture, and a keen interest in the topic of the project. Together with the project team (the Principal Investigator and two Postdocs), the PhD researcher will be expected to investigate the heterogeneity of mass attitudes towards democracy in the context of citizens’ responses to emerging threats to liberal democracy.
The full call document is available here: https://www.unifr.ch/europastudien/en/assets/public/Documents/SNSF_PhD_Call.pdf
Please don't hesitate to share with qualified MA graduates.
Best wishes,
Natasha
Prof. Dr. Natasha Wunsch
Professor of European Studies
Director of the Centre for European Studies
Université of Fribourg

Just out:

[cid:26fac020-ec34-4a89-9601-75ffc27c748c]

Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backslidinghttps://academic.oup.com/book/60927, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2025). Open access!

Recent publications:

The Demand Side of Democratic Backsliding: How Divergent Understandings of Democracy Shape Political Choicehttps://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123424000711, British Journal of Political Science (2025).

A new regihttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12751__;!!Dc8iu7o!wTHlr4tJwe6oCHniaj6r2ujI2RexjvJuBAker3EDrGrYVn0mMJR5a-lYBRtkHqG98CPm-DT0NJjvH4FIvMADUnuhzIp2jHE$me divide? Democratic backsliding, attitudes towards democracy and affective polarizationhttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12751__;!!Dc8iu7o!wTHlr4tJwe6oCHniaj6r2ujI2RexjvJuBAker3EDrGrYVn0mMJR5a-lYBRtkHqG98CPm-DT0NJjvH4FIvMADUnuhzIp2jHE$, European Journal of Political Research (2025).

A geopolitical turning point? Enlargement discourse after the Russian invasion of Ukrainehttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14651165251367355, European Union Politics (2025).

Supranational responses to democratic backsliding: norm contestation and discursive polarisation in the European Parliamenthttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2320270?src=exp-la, Journal of European Public Policy (2025).

The multi-level politics of countering democratic backsliding: state of the art and new research directionshttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2418957, Journal of European Public Policy (2025).

Dear colleagues, I am looking to hire a PhD researcher for a four-year position in my new project “Liberal Democratic Commitment in Europe: Mass Attitudes, Political Identities, and Behavioural Consequences”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (2025-2029). The project investigates citizens’ understandings of democracy and the way they inform their political identities and behaviour. Combining focus groups and survey-based methods, the project will: 1. Measure and map liberal democratic commitment across eight European countries 2. Assess to what extent democratic commitment amounts to a political identity for European citizens 3. Evaluate the behavioural consequences of variation in democratic commitment The ideal candidate will have strong methods skills, specialized knowledge of democracy and political culture, and a keen interest in the topic of the project. Together with the project team (the Principal Investigator and two Postdocs), the PhD researcher will be expected to investigate the heterogeneity of mass attitudes towards democracy in the context of citizens’ responses to emerging threats to liberal democracy. The full call document is available here: https://www.unifr.ch/europastudien/en/assets/public/Documents/SNSF_PhD_Call.pdf Please don't hesitate to share with qualified MA graduates. Best wishes, Natasha Prof. Dr. Natasha Wunsch Professor of European Studies Director of the Centre for European Studies Université of Fribourg Just out: [cid:26fac020-ec34-4a89-9601-75ffc27c748c] Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backsliding<https://academic.oup.com/book/60927>, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2025). Open access! Recent publications: The Demand Side of Democratic Backsliding: How Divergent Understandings of Democracy Shape Political Choice<https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123424000711>, British Journal of Political Science (2025). A new regi<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12751__;!!Dc8iu7o!wTHlr4tJwe6oCHniaj6r2ujI2RexjvJuBAker3EDrGrYVn0mMJR5a-lYBRtkHqG98CPm-DT0NJjvH4FIvMADUnuhzIp2jHE$>me divide? Democratic backsliding, attitudes towards democracy and affective polarization<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12751__;!!Dc8iu7o!wTHlr4tJwe6oCHniaj6r2ujI2RexjvJuBAker3EDrGrYVn0mMJR5a-lYBRtkHqG98CPm-DT0NJjvH4FIvMADUnuhzIp2jHE$>, European Journal of Political Research (2025). A geopolitical turning point? Enlargement discourse after the Russian invasion of Ukraine<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14651165251367355>, European Union Politics (2025). Supranational responses to democratic backsliding: norm contestation and discursive polarisation in the European Parliament<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2320270?src=exp-la>, Journal of European Public Policy (2025). The multi-level politics of countering democratic backsliding: state of the art and new research directions<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2418957>, Journal of European Public Policy (2025).

WUNSCH Natasha

Thu, Oct 30, 2025 8:32 AM

Dear all,

There are two more weeks left to apply for the PhD vacancy for a four-year position in my new project “Liberal Democratic Commitment in Europe: Mass Attitudes, Political Identities, and Behavioural Consequences”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (2025-2029). The project investigates citizens’ understandings of democracy and the way they inform their political identities and behaviour. Combining focus groups and survey-based methods, the project will:

Measure and map liberal democratic commitment across eight European countries
Assess to what extent democratic commitment amounts to a political identity for European citizens
Evaluate the behavioural consequences of variation in democratic commitment

Just out:

[cid:26fac020-ec34-4a89-9601-75ffc27c748c]

Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backslidinghttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://academic.oup.com/book/60927__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhD6D63Rg4$, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2025). Open access!

Recent publications:

The Demand Side of Democratic Backsliding: How Divergent Understandings of Democracy Shape Political Choicehttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123424000711__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhD2CBaS9i$, British Journal of Political Science (2025).

A geopolitical turning point? Enlargement discourse after the Russian invasion of Ukrainehttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14651165251367355__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhD7VkwvTh$, European Union Politics (2025).

Supranational responses to democratic backsliding: norm contestation and discursive polarisation in the European Parliamenthttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2320270?src=exp-la__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhDw4NtYD1$, Journal of European Public Policy (2025).

The multi-level politics of countering democratic backsliding: state of the art and new research directionshttps://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2418957__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhDzoAyExs$, Journal of European Public Policy (2025).

DeDear colleagues, I am looking to hire a PhD researcher for a four-year position in my new project “Liberal Democratic Commitment in Europe: Mass Attitudes, Political Identities, and Behavioural Consequences”, funded by the Swiss National Science ZjQcmQRYFpfptBannerStar Dear all, There are two more weeks left to apply for the PhD vacancy for a four-year position in my new project “Liberal Democratic Commitment in Europe: Mass Attitudes, Political Identities, and Behavioural Consequences”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (2025-2029). The project investigates citizens’ understandings of democracy and the way they inform their political identities and behaviour. Combining focus groups and survey-based methods, the project will: 1. Measure and map liberal democratic commitment across eight European countries 2. Assess to what extent democratic commitment amounts to a political identity for European citizens 3. Evaluate the behavioural consequences of variation in democratic commitment The ideal candidate will have strong methods skills, specialized knowledge of democracy and political culture, and a keen interest in the topic of the project. Together with the project team (the Principal Investigator and two Postdocs), the PhD researcher will be expected to investigate the heterogeneity of mass attitudes towards democracy in the context of citizens’ responses to emerging threats to liberal democracy. The full call document is available here: https://www.unifr.ch/europastudien/en/assets/public/Documents/SNSF_PhD_Call.pdf Please don't hesitate to share with qualified MA graduates. Best wishes, Natasha Prof. Dr. Natasha Wunsch Professor of European Studies Director of the Centre for European Studies Université of Fribourg Just out: [cid:26fac020-ec34-4a89-9601-75ffc27c748c] Democratic Commitment: Why Citizens Tolerate Democratic Backsliding<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://academic.oup.com/book/60927__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhD6D63Rg4$>, Oxford: Oxford University Press (2025). Open access! Recent publications: The Demand Side of Democratic Backsliding: How Divergent Understandings of Democracy Shape Political Choice<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123424000711__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhD2CBaS9i$>, British Journal of Political Science (2025). A new regi<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12751__;!!Dc8iu7o!wTHlr4tJwe6oCHniaj6r2ujI2RexjvJuBAker3EDrGrYVn0mMJR5a-lYBRtkHqG98CPm-DT0NJjvH4FIvMADUnuhzIp2jHE$>me divide? Democratic backsliding, attitudes towards democracy and affective polarization<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ejpr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6765.12751__;!!Dc8iu7o!wTHlr4tJwe6oCHniaj6r2ujI2RexjvJuBAker3EDrGrYVn0mMJR5a-lYBRtkHqG98CPm-DT0NJjvH4FIvMADUnuhzIp2jHE$>, European Journal of Political Research (2025). A geopolitical turning point? Enlargement discourse after the Russian invasion of Ukraine<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14651165251367355__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhD7VkwvTh$>, European Union Politics (2025). Supranational responses to democratic backsliding: norm contestation and discursive polarisation in the European Parliament<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2320270?src=exp-la__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhDw4NtYD1$>, Journal of European Public Policy (2025). The multi-level politics of countering democratic backsliding: state of the art and new research directions<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13501763.2024.2418957__;!!L4CEoEA!qTZZ4vvSMRFmHEFlCYe-wdPNcFKwH1wOsBbQ3JMie-wxANnjt1GmY40Mwf1qH7ChYCU3Ze9s4oK4z3Yv_ihhDzoAyExs$>, Journal of European Public Policy (2025).