Research

Publications

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


(1) “The Informational Role of Party Leader Changes on Voter Perceptions of Party Positions” (with Pablo Fernandez-Vasquez). Forthcoming at the British Journal of Political Science.  

(2) “Agree or Disagree: How do Party Leader Changes Affect the Distribution of Voters’ Perceptions.” Party Politics 23(1): 66-75 (2017) (peer-reviewed special issue). [link] 


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


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


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


(6) “European Parliamentary Elections and National Party Policy Change.” (with Michelle Zar) Comparative Political Studies 47: 878-902 (2014).[link]


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


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

  • Winner of the 2013 Jack Walker Outstanding Article Award   

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

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

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


(11) “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” (with James Adams) British Journal of Political Science 39: 825-846 (2009).[link]


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

  • Winner of the 2008 Leon Weaver Best Paper Award   

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


(14) “Survival of the Fittest? Cabinet Duration in Post-Communist Europe.” Comparative Politics 40 (3): 313-329 (2008) (with Laron Williams).[link]  

Working Projects

“Election Campaigns and Voter Perceptions of Party Positions” (with Markus Baumann and Margit Tavits). Under Review.   


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


“Does Message Distortion by Rivals Affect Party Policy Images?” (with Markus Baumann and Margit Tavits).    


“Party System Polarization and Voter Perceptions” (with Margit Tavits)   “Strategic Timing of Leadership Changes and Its Electoral Consequences” (with Hande Mutlu-Eren and Daniel Weitzel)   


“Reliable Campaigns: Do Parties Follow Their Programmatic Pledges during Campaigns?” (with Martin Gross and Margit Tavits)  


 “Explaining European Ideological Shifts: The Socio-Structural Factors” (with Kenneth Greene and Roman Hlatky)  

Other Publications

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.