Research

Publications

Please contact me at zsomer@utexas.edu for replication files

(1) Jung, Jae-Hee and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. “United We Stand, Divided We Fall? The Effects of Parties’ Brexit Rhetoric on Voters’ Perceptions of Party Positions.” Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. Online published on November 4, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1080/17457289.2020.1839470

(2) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep, Margit Tavits, and Markus Baumann. “Does Party Rhetoric Affect Voter Perceptions of Party Positions.” Electoral Studies. Online Published on April 9, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2020.102153

(3) Fernandez-Vazquez , Pablo and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2019. “The Informational Role of Party Leader Changes on Voter Perceptions of Party Positions.” British Journal of Political Science 49(3): 977-996.

Link to the presentation at CSDC (McGill) in April 2016.

(4) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep.2017. “Agree or Disagree: How do Party Leader Changes Affect the Distribution of Voters’ Perceptions.” Party Politics 23(1): 66-75. [link]

(5) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep. 2015. “Everything to Everyone: The Electoral Consequences of the Broad-Appeal Strategy in Europe.” American Journal of Political Science 59(4): 841-854. [link] [Replication Data from Dataverse]

(6) Adams, James, Lawrence Ezrow and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2014. “Do Voters Respond to Party Manifestos or to a Wider Information Environment? An Analysis of Mass-elite Linkages on European Integration” American Journal of Political Science 58(4): 967-978..[link] [Replication Data from Dataverse]

(7) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep and Laron Williams. 2014. “Opposition Party Policy Shifts in Response to No-Confidence Motions.” European Journal of Political Research 53(3): 600-616.[link]

(8) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep and Michelle Zar. 2014. “European Parliamentary Elections and National Party Policy Change.” Comparative Political Studies 47: 878-902.[link]

(9) Adams, James, Lawrence Ezrow, Samuel Merill III, and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2013. “Does Collective Responsibility for Performance Alter Party Strategies? Policy-Seeking Parties in Proportional Systems?” British Journal of Political Science 43(1): 1-23.[link]

(10) Bawn, Kathleen and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2012. “Government versus Opposition at the Polls: How Governing Status Affects the Impact of Policy Positions.” American Journal of Political Science 56(2): 433-446. [link]

Winner of the 2013 Jack Walker Outstanding Article Award

(11) Adams, James, Lawrence Ezrow, and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2011. “Is Anybody Listening? Evidence that Voters do not Respond to European Parties’ Policy Programmes.” American Journal of Political Science 55(2): 370-382.[link]

Winner of the 2012 American Journal of Political Science Best Article Award

(12) Maoz, Zeev and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2010. “Polarization and Political Stability in Multiparty Systems (1945-1998).” British Journal of Political Science 40(4): 805-833.[link]

(13) Adams, James and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2009. “Do Parties Adjust Their Policies in Response to Rival Parties’ Policy Shifts? Spatial Theory and the Dynamics of Party Competition in Twenty-Five Postwar Democracies.” British Journal of Political Science 39: 825-846.[link]

(14) Adams, James and Zeynep Somer-Topcu. 2009. “Moderate Now, Win Votes Later: The Electoral Consequences of Parties’ Policy Shifts in Twenty-Five Postwar Democracies.” Journal of Politics 71(2): 678-692. [link]

Winner of the 2008 Leon Weaver Best Paper Award

(15) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep. 2009. “Timely Decisions: The Effects of Past National Elections on Party Policy.” Journal of Politics 71(1): 238-248. [link]

(16) Somer-Topcu, Zeynep and Laron Williams. 2008. “Survival of the Fittest? Cabinet Duration in Post-Communist Europe.” Comparative Politics 40 (3): 313-329. [link]

Working Projects

Election Campaigns and Voter Perceptions (with Margit Tavits). Book Project.

“Does Message Distortion by Rivals Affect Party Policy Images?” (with Margit Tavits). Under Review.

“Party Policy, Issue Ownership, and Their Electoral Consequences: The Advantages of Shifting to the Right” (with James Adams, Luca Bernardi, Lawrence Ezrow). Under Review.

“The Party Divides? The Political Impact of Party Leadership Contestation” (with Joseph Cozza). Under Review.

“Valence Rhetoric and Vote Choice: How do Valence Attacks Affect Vote Choice?” (with Daniel Weitzel) Under Review.

“Strategic Timing of Leadership Changes and Its Electoral Consequences” (with Daniel Weitzel).

“The Electoral Consequences of Message Inconsistencies: How do Changes from Manifestos to Campaign Positions Affect Party Performance?” (with Laron Williams)

“Gender and Party Leadership Change” (with Andrea S. Aldrich)

Other Publications

Somer-Topcu, Zeynep. 2019. "Close to Home: Local Ties and Voting Radical Right in Europe. By Jennifer Fitzgerald." Perspectives on Politics 17(2): 616-617. (Book Review).

Somer-Topcu, Zeynep. Can a New Leader Change a Party’s Fortunes? How Leadership Changes Affect Voter Perceptions about Party Policy. London School of Economic EUROPP blog post. September 19, 2016. Link.

Somer-Topcu, Zeynep & Laron Williams. Motions of No-Confidence Can Negatively Impact upon the Public’s View of the Government. London School of Economics Democratic Audit UK blog post. June 5, 2014. Link.