Mara Almeida’s Post

Dear experts of Democracy, After a first scoping phase on the Future of Democracy and the main challenges identified we are now going in depth regarding core topics that need attention and further analysis. For this purpose we have launched a call for experts to inform our findings with a variety of approaches and different perspectives. Deadline 31st of July. Further information and the full call at the post below. Please share widely among your networks Participatory and Deliberative Specialist group/PSA European Consortium for Political Research #democracy #politics #politicalscience

This call for experts on democracy launched by my JRC colleagues may be of interest to you if you are an expert in 1. Citizen’s support for and engagement in democracy combined with issues of political equality and equal participation; 2. Supporting democratic quality and the future of democratic institutions; 3. Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on how democracy will function. You have one week to go (deadline 31st July).

We just published this new article open access 😊 Minds and Machines Artificial Intelligence for the Internal Democracy of Political Parties Open access Published: 04 September 2024 Volume 34, article number 36, (2024) https://lnkd.in/gzCHaPk5

We are very happy to announce the publication of our latest research article, "A Computational Analysis of Ideological Positions, Emotional Stance, and Support for Presidential Candidates in Turkey," at the prestigious journal The Developing Economies, showcasing the cutting-edge potential of Politus Analytics' dataset and methodologies. This study leverages artificial intelligence to analyze one billion posts from X (formerly Twitter) to explore the intricate relationships between ideologies, emotions, and political preferences during the landmark 2023 Turkish presidential elections. From uncovering ideological stances to examining the emotional pulse of the electorate, our research offers a granular and dynamic depiction of Turkey's political landscape. The article also highlights the limitations of traditional survey methods and presents the ERC-funded Politus project, which harnesses digital trace data for timely, accurate insights into social and political trends. This is a testament to the transformative role of computational methods in political analysis, particularly in understanding the evolving sentiments and ideological orientations of voters in the digital age. 💡 Read the open-access article to delve deeper into these findings and their implications for political science and beyond. Let us know your thoughts in the comments! 👇https://lnkd.in/dB-3VACX

The Supreme Court's ruling in the Murthy v. Missouri case is a win for independent researchers. Though the case centered on how the federal government communicated with social media companies about content moderation decisions, it also falsely claimed that independent researchers carried out censorship activity on behalf of the government. These false claims are part of a broader effort to smear researchers and scientists, and they have already damaged America's ability to tackle foreign election interference and major public health events. Today’s decision reaffirms that technology researchers are independent actors who have a right under the First Amendment to carry out their important work, and to share their expertise with the public, companies and the government. Most importantly, the court's decision on standing grounds also sends a clear message that the American justice system requires proof, not just political posturing. Read our full statement about the decision below.

🆕 Accurate information can correct misperceptions and drive public demand for democracy Authoritarian regimes often maintain power via cultivating misperceptions about the quality of state institutions and the value of democracy. This leads citizens to underestimate the deterioration of democratic institutions, affecting their voting behaviour. How did an intervention, providing accurate information to voters in Türkiye, address misperceptions about the quality of state institutions and the value of democracy and affect demand for democracy? Today on VoxDev, Daron Acemoğlu (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)), Cevat Giray Aksoy (King's College London), Ceren Baysan (University of Toronto), Carlos Molina (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) & Gamze Zeki (Stockholm University) outline the findings from their research: https://lnkd.in/eSu8AxA7

Check out this important research from Oregon on Deliberative panels as a source of public knowledge: A large-sample test of the Citizens’ Initiative Review #unify #unifyUSA It's time to realize a true democracy in the USA https://lnkd.in/eQrig2wj

Proud to share the English version of my latest column, “Making the case for democratic, limited government and economic liberty in the Americas,” just published in Opidata, of the Legado de las Americas: https://lnkd.in/enrM4gmc

How did an intervention, providing accurate information to voters in Türkiye, address misperceptions about the quality of state institutions and the value of democracy and affect demand for democracy?

🚨 New Paper Alert 🚨 Dodging the autocratic bullet: Enlisting behavioral science to arrest democratic backsliding In our latest article in Behavioural Public Policy, Kiia Huttunen, Ralph Hertwig, Stephan Lewandowsky, and I explore the mechanisms behind democratic backsliding and how we can prevent it before it’s too late. Using behavioral science, we examine democratic "near misses"—instances where democracies edged toward autocracy but managed to recover. 🔑 Key Insights: Elite Norm Violations: Democratic erosion often begins with political elites testing or breaking boundaries. The public's reaction—whether they accept or reject these violations—plays a critical role in determining outcomes. Non-Linearity: Backsliding is typically gradual and unpredictable but can escalate rapidly once a tipping point is crossed, making recovery extremely difficult. ⚠️ The Drift-to-Danger Model (DTDM): Adapted from safety science, the DTDM illustrates how the gradual erosion of democratic norms can lead to catastrophic breakdowns if safeguards—such as the media, judiciary, or civil society—are weakened or fail. It also provides an analytical framework to identify risk factors and design behavioral interventions to fortify these safeguards. 💡 Behavioral Interventions: Tackling societal drivers such as misinformation, polarization, and voter apathy. Utilizing simulations (e.g., interactive games or virtual reality) to heighten awareness of autocratic risks. To combat backsliding, we must prioritize the protection of democratic norms, address the tendency to underestimate risks of democratic erosion, and ensure accountability from both the public and political elites.