Postdoctor in Political Science

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The Department of Political Science is an international academic environment that welcomes students, researchers and staff from all over the world. Our research covers topics such as political institutions, elections, public opinion and democracy, international and European politics, environmental politics, corruption and political ideas. The Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg is ranked as the best in Sweden and one of the top 10-15 in Europe in its subject area, according to the global Shanghai ranking of academic subjects for 2024. We organize a large number of research seminars and workshops each year in the various research areas of the department. We offer education at all levels in both Swedish and English. In total, around 1,400 people study with us, and we have around 170 employees.

For more information about the Department, visit our website www.pol.gu.se.

The Department of Political Science invites applications for a post-doctoral fellow, funded by the ERC Starting Grant. This is a 2-year position (extendable to 3 years per agreement with the PI), 100% of full-time, offering candidates to join a timely and ambitious research project on the behavioral consequences of national economic improvement.

The research project

The position is part of the project “More Money, Different Problems? People’s Engagement with Politics during Good Economic Times” (ECONENGAGE), led by Associate Professor Florence So and funded by an ERC Starting Grant. General information about the project is available at https://www.florenceso.org/projects/ and https://www.gu.se/en/news/political-engagement-in-good-times-studied-in-erc-project.

ECONENGAGE’s aim is to uncover the behavior consequences of national economic improvement. Economic downturns can be a breeding ground for extremist politics. Yet, we know far less about how a good economy affects citizens’ interactions with politics. Does national economic improvement affect the way people tune into politics and their commitment to democratic norms? The project provides and tests an original theory on the impacts of economic improvement on the quality of people’s political engagement and attitudes toward democratic institutions in established democracies.

This project will first investigate the mechanisms through which individuals translate the national economic condition to their personal economic situations, for the purpose of developing a systematic connection between the national economy and personal financial wellbeing. The project will then examine how this improvement affects their political behavior beyond voting as well as their attitudes and preferences toward different democratic institutions.

The project will employ both observational survey analysis, including analyses of existing surveys and fielding of original surveys, and experiments. Thus, the project team will engage in ambitious data collection and experimental designs. There will be opportunities for extensive collaborations using these methodological approaches.

The research group’s broader interest lies in the relationship between the economy, political engagement, and democratic attitudes. Thus, beyond these aims, there will also be opportunity to conduct individual research projects on the political economy of elections, such as but not limited to perceptions of the national economic condition; the consequences of economic inequality; the relationship between the national economy and political behavior beyond voting behavior; and the relationship between the economy and preferences for democratic institutions.

A more detailed project description is available upon request.

Subject area

Political science

Subject area description

Political Science is the study of politics.

Keywords – Political economy; political behavior; political engagement; experimental methods.

Duties

The employment as a postdoctoral fellow aims to give the employee an early opportunity to develop his independence as a researcher after completing his doctoral degree and to create the conditions for further qualifications. The person employed as a postdoctoral fellow must mainly conduct research. Teaching can be included in the work duties, but to a maximum of one-fifth of the working time.

The postdoctoral fellow will be employed at the Department of Political Science as part of the research group and is expected to engage in collaborative research with Florence So and the other members of the project group. The postdoctoral fellow’s work will be a crucial component of the successful completion of the project. We expect the successful candidate to collaborate with the project group on the second part of the project—the mechanisms through which favorable national economic conditions affects the way individuals engage with politics. As such, they are expected to jointly design experiments on whether and how an improving national economy affects 1) individuals’ consumption of political information, 2) their reliance on information provided by partisan information sources and their risks of being politically misinformed, and 3) the depth of their entrenchment in their own ideological beliefs and positions on moral issues.

We also expect the postdoctoral fellow to conduct independent, high-quality research project(s) that aligns with the project’s goals of connecting national economic improvement with political engagement and to contribute to publications in top international research outlets.

Successful applicants will be embedded as essential members of a cutting-edge, ambitious research project and a supportive, collaborative, and vibrant research team. They will also be well integrated into a large, international, and dynamic department and its various research environments, such as the Gothenburg Research Group on Elections, Public Opinion, and Political Behavior (GEPOP) and the Quality of Governance (QoG) Institute. The postdoctoral fellow will be encouraged to form independent research collaborations with other members of the department. There will be excellent opportunities for the development of further research ideas within the project’s aims as well as independent research agendas. The successful applicant may be eligible to apply for a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship, to be hosted by the University of Gothenburg. The project provides funding for conference attendance, data collection, additional career training, and will create opportunities for the postdoctoral fellow to develop robust, independent research networks—all essential for career advancement within academia.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for employing teaching staff are set out in Chapter 4 of the Higher Education Ordinance and in the Appointment Procedure for Teaching Posts at the University of Gothenburg.

To be eligible for appointment as a postdoc, the applicant is required to have a doctoral degree, a doctoral degree in art or a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree. This eligibility requirement must be met before the employment decision is made.

In the first instance, those who have completed their degree no more than three years prior to the end of the application period shall be considered. Those who have completed their degree more than three years prior to the end of the application period may also be considered in the first instance if special grounds exist. Special grounds relate to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, commissions of trust within union organisations, service within the defence services or other similar circumstances, as well as clinical service or service/assignment relevant to the subject area.

For more information regarding eligibility please visit The Appointment Procedure GU 2024/1687

Assessment criteria

You must have a doctoral degree, preferably in political science or a related subject, no later than the date on which the appointment decision is made. We are looking for someone with previous experience of research related to the research area described above.

Applicants are expected to have obtained (or be close to obtaining) a PhD in political science or economics. Experience in experimental design is required. In addition, we expect applicants to have excellent skills in advanced quantitative methods. Research expertise in political economy, political behavior, or public opinion in established democracies is an asset. In addition to the ability and desire to work collaboratively in the ECONENGAGE project, applicants must demonstrate ambition in their research agenda and provide evidence of, or potential to produce, high-quality, innovative, and high-impact research, both independently and as part of a team. They must also demonstrate the ability to work constructively and effectively within an international research team.

We prefer applicants with a strong interest in developing innovative experiments and who are willing to acquire new methodological skills. Applicants are expected to have an excellent command of spoken and written English.

To be successful in this position, you must have an eye for detail, good organizational skills and be able to solve problems. You need to have excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Great emphasis is placed on personal suitability for the position. We will make an overall assessment and the applicant who is considered to be best qualified to carry out and develop the tasks described above will be appointed to the position.

Employment

The employment is limited (temporary) for a minimum of 24 and maximum of 36 months, 100% of full-time at the Department of Political Science. Starting date; September 2027 or as agreed.

Contact information

If you have questions regarding the employment, or details about the projects in which this position is organized, please contact Florence So (florence.so@gu.se).

If you have any questions regarding the employment procedure, please contact Helena Jensen, helena.jensen@gu.se

Unions

Union representatives at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: https://www.gu.se/en/work-at-the-university-of-gothenburg/how-to-apply-for-a-position#collective-agreement-and-union-representatives

Application

Submit your application via the University of Gothenburg’s recruitment portal by clicking the “Apply” button. It is your responsibility to ensure that the application is complete as per the vacancy notice, and that the University receives it by the final application deadline.

We kindly ask you to write your application in English as the application may be reviewed by English-speaking staff. In the selection process, it will likely be relevant with interviews, reference taking and work tests in English.

The application should include the following:

• A letter of application (max 2 pages), outlining how your research agenda can contribute to this project. It should clearly show the ways in which the applicant meets the requirements specified above.
• A research proposal outlining potential ideas for research relevant to the focus of the project (2-3 pages, excluding references)
• A CV (including list of working papers and publications)
• One writing sample of typical article length
• A list of at least three references (with contact information) from whom letters of recommendation can be solicited and whom may be contacted at the interview stage.

Applications must be received by: 2027-01-04

Information for International Applicants

Choosing a career in a foreign country is a big step. Thus, to give you a general idea of what we and Gothenburg have to offer in terms of benefits and life in general for you and your family/spouse/partner please visit:

https://www.gu.se/en/about-the-university/welcome-services 
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The University works actively to achieve a working environment with equal conditions, and values the qualities that diversity brings to its operations.

Salaries are set individually at the University.

In accordance with the National Archives of Sweden’s regulations, the University must archive application documents for two years after the appointment is filled. If you request that your documents are returned, they will be returned to you once the two years have passed. Otherwise, they will be destroyed.

In connection to this recruitment, we have already decided which recruitment channels we should use. We therefore decline further contact with vendors, recruitment and staffing companies.