Projects
Our usual activities consist of managing both research-oriented as well as educational projects.
Through our reserach we aim to promote reliable knowledge on elections and voter behavior.
We are happy to inform that CES will take part in the Warsaw Science Festival, as Prof. Adam Gendźwiłł is expected to give alecture on electoral systems titled:
How Do Electoral Systems Work (and Fail to Work)?
location: Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, Old University Library Building, Room 105
time: September 21st, 3:30 PM
IDUB Grant
We are delighted to annouce that Prof. Adam Gendźwiłł, Head of Center for electoral Studies received funding from Center of Excellence in Social Sciences within the IDUB Program. He will be conducting a project titled “Electoral Consequences of the Migration Crisis on the Polish-Belarusian Border.”
The main goal of the project is to identify the impact of the so-called migration crisis along the Polish-Belarusian border on electoral behavior, particularly regarding: (1) voter turnout, (2) support for the ruling party (Law and Justice – PiS), and (3) support for the far-right party (Confederation).
The study aims to contribute to two emerging research trends in electoral behavior studies. First, it seeks to expand the literature that examines the electoral consequences of voter exposure to various groups of migrants, especially in the context of explaining the rise of extremism and the popularity of anti-establishment and populist parties. Second, it aims to contribute to the literature on the political consequences of states of emergency, currently dominated by studies on authoritarian regimes or the political consequences of natural disasters affecting specific regions.
The project will employ quasi-experimental causal inference methods based on the analysis of geocoded official election results for the Polish parliamentary elections from 2015 to 2023.
Workshops"Quantitative Research in Political Science"
Workshops „Quantitative Research in Political Science” gather researchers from several Polish universities and research institutes, who apply quantitative methods to analyze political behavior. A small group of scholars discuss working papers and preliminary research ideas. The workshops are convened by Prof. Adam Gendźwiłł, Michał Gulczyński (Ph.D. from Bocconi University, currently post-doctoral researcher at European University Institute) and local hosts.
These workshops focus on the application of quantitative methods to political science research, including statistical analysis, data collection, and empirical modeling. Participants utilize software tools such as R, Stata, and SPSS to conduct data analysis, interpret results, and apply findings to real-world political phenomena. The workshops feature collaborations with other academic insitutions in Poland and abroad. They often take place at host Universities. The workshops often cover topics like survey design, regression analysis, causal inference, providing a comprehensive foundation for conducting robust quantitative research in the field of political science.
Interdisciplinary Seminar in Empirical Social Science (ISESS) is a monthly seminar series that brings together scholars from diverse backgrounds in social science who are interested in comparative empirical research. It creates a unique interdisciplinary and inter-institutional forum to present work in progress and receive feedback. All meetings will be held in English.
The ISESS seminar is affiliated with the new Centre for Excellence in Social Science at the University of Warsaw, which is part of the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB – a program funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education).
In the academic year 2023/24, the seminar is co-organized with the Center for Research on Prejudice and Center for Electoral Studies and convened by its respective heads: Prof. Michał Bilewicz and Prof. Adam Gendźwiłł. The seminars take place on selected Wednesdays at 1 pm at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies (Collegium Politicum, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, Room 303).
The grant aims to explore the representation gaps between local and national levels of government and between legislative and executive bodies, particularly focusing on the participation of women in politics. Despite a general belief that women have better access to local power, data shows local politics can be more male-dominated than national or European politics. This project will conduct a comparative study across European democracies to understand these dynamics, with a particular focus on Poland.
The research will involve in-depth surveys of voters and local elites to examine whether direct elections of mayors reduce women’s participation in local government, and to investigate if voters use stereotypes in candidate selection and how they perceive female politicians compared to their male counterparts. The project will also assess whether the gender of local politicians influences public policy, particularly in areas like social policy, infrastructure investments, and budget allocation.
The project will use advanced quantitative methods and experimental surveys to gather and analyze data. Findings will be presented at scientific conferences, published in academic journals, and shared with the public in an accessible manner. The ultimate goal is to understand if increasing female participation in local politics leads to significant changes in local policies and communities.