Janina Beiser-McGrath

Just arrived at #EPSS2026 to present new research with @andreucasas.bsky.social and Georgia Dagher on how, about what and to whom African governments communicate on Facebook (Saturday, 1.30pm, Meeting Room 2b). Looking forward to seeing old and meeting new colleagues!

If you are a PhD student working on autocracies, send us your work to be considered for the PSA Autocracy and Regime Change Group’s Best PhD Paper Award!

🚨 We are now accepting submissions for two of our Specialist Group's Awards 🚨 - Best Paper Award - Best PhD Paper Award Rules: anyone can nominate – self-nominations are welcome! – a paper for these awards by emailing arc.psa.sg@gmail.com Deadline: 25 May 2026 Details on the rules👇

Thanks to the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social for recognising the @psaautocracy.bsky.social group that @felixwiebrecht.bsky.social, @fabioangiolillo.bsky.social and I founded in this way. This group has grown into such a great community, do join it if you study autocracies!

A great paper by @carlmc.bsky.social and Nils-Christian Bormann with a really useful method to study voting!

Russia, Venezuela, Iran, China, the Sahel region, the United States ... Want to know why state agents carry out brutal repression — or participate in illegal coups? Our new book "Making a Career in Dictatorship" provides answers — it just got published by @academic.oup.com: tinyurl.com/ystwm3tf

Want to present your paper to a great community of autocracy researchers next April in Oxford? Then submit your abstract to us at the Autocracy and Regime Change SG for the PSA 2026 Conference. The deadline is this Friday, details below.

🚨Hiring a fully funded (3.5 years) PhD for the @ldnsocmedobs.bsky.social to research social media and politics. Candidates should have quantitative/computational skills and/or be interested in content curation/moderation. UK home candidates only unfortunately. www.royalholloway.ac.uk/media/hquftp...

@jbeisermcgrath.bsky.social and I wrote the ‘last word’ for the latest Political Insight issue @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social. We discuss the global rise of authoritarianism, its implications for domestic and international politics, and the future of democracy. journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10....

A new research centre to watch, led by my brilliant colleague @andreucasas.bsky.social! Follow for insightful research on social media and the role of social media platforms!

📣 If you’re in London on 7 July, join us at our mini workshop on Global South Politics! The programme is below. If interested, please email me!

📣 Two more days to indicate interest in our 7 July London workshop! If you would like to present a paper on politics in the Global South or want to participate in discussions, let us know by Friday!

Calling researchers working on authoritarian politics: Are you looking for ways to communicate what we know from research to policymakers and the public? Here’s your chance!

THREE MORE DAYS to nominate a paper/chapter (including your own!) for the @psaautocracy.bsky.social Best PhD Paper award! Eligible is published and unpublished work by PhD students on issues relating to autocracy and regime change, and work can be co-authored too! Details below:

Autocracy researchers, send us your work for the @psaautocracy.bsky.social prizes for Best PhD Paper and Best Paper presented at the PSA conference by 19 May!

If you're at the PSA Conference in Birmingham next week, don't miss the events of the Autocracy and Regime Change Group!

📢 Calling scholars of autocracies and political transitions! We are the PSA Specialist Group on Autocracy and Regime Change. Follow us for updates on our activities and events!

Very excited to see this paper published in the Journal of Politics! In it, I argue that media freedom can serve as a commitment device to stabilise ethnically inclusive government coalitions. doi.org/10.1086/730733

This workshop is a great opportunity if you do research on political elites!

Women are gaining increasing access to powerful positions in autocracies. @keremoglu.bsky.social and I write about what that means in this blog post for @ecprtheloop.bsky.social theloop.ecpr.eu/autocracies-...

Highly recommend this workshop for ECRs working on conflict-related issues:

Very excited to see this one out! We show that ideological commitment to the Pan-African movement played a vital role in African leaders’ decisions to share power with other ethnic communities. doi.org/10.1017/S002...

Happening today! Webinar on geopolitical currents and casualty recording in Africa at 11:00 EST/16:00 GMT/19:00 EAT. Sign up here everycasualty.org/casualty-rec...