Photo by Viktoria Garvare
Welcome!
My name is Sirus Dehdari and I am an associate senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University and affiliated with Uppsala Center for Labor Studies at Uppsala University.
I do research in political and institutional economics, and political behavior, in particular voting for radical right parties, identity formation, and political participation. My research has been published in journals such as American Political Science Review, British Journal of Political Science, American Journal of Political Science and American Economic Journal: Applied Economics.
Recent publication:
Dancygier, Rafaela, Sirus H. Dehdari, David D. Laitin, Mortiz Marbach, and Kåre Vernby. 2024. Emigration and radical right populism. American Journal of Political Science
Abstract:
An extensive literature links the rise of populist radical right (PRR) parties to immigration. We argue that another demographic trend is also significant: Emigration. The departure of citizens due to internal and international emigration is a major phenomenon affecting elections via two complementary mechanisms. Emigration alters the composition of electorates, but also changes the preferences of the left behind. Empirically, we establish a positive correlation between PRR vote shares and net-migration loss at the subnational level across Europe. A more fine-grained panel analysis of precincts in Sweden demonstrates that the departure of citizens raises PRR vote shares in places of emigration and that the Social Democrats are the principal losers from emigration. Elite interviews and newspaper analyses explore how emigration produces material and psychological grievances on which populists capitalize and that established parties do not effectively address. Emigration and the frustrations it generates emerge as important sources of populist success.
Aggeborn, Linuz, Henrik Andersson, Sirus H. Dehdari, and Karl-Oskar Lindgren. 2024. Granting Immigrants the Right to Vote in National Elections: Empirical Evidence from Swedish Administrative Data. British Journal of Political Science
Abstract:
Faced with rising levels of cross-border migration, many countries have extended local voting rights to non-citizen residents. However, empirical evidence indicates that voter turnout among non-naturalized immigrants is lower compared to citizens. This raises the question of how to explain this difference. A common answer is that the low turnout rates of non-citizen residents are primarily due to the socio-economic composition of this group and the challenges involved in adapting to a new political system. An alternative but less discussed possibility is that the low turnout to a greater extent concerns the nature of the elections. Hence, we examine if the turnout of non-citizens is hampered due to the fact that they are only allowed to partake in local elections. Based on a RD design using Swedish administrative data, we find that turnout could increase by as much as 10--20 percentage points if the voting rights of non-citizens were extended to the national level.
Ongoing research projects:
Does increased socioeconomic segregation lead to increased political inequality? (With PI Karl-Oskar Lindgren and co-PI Henrik Andersson)
Who stands up for liberal democracy in the face of organized crime? Micro-level evidence on public opinion in the context of violent organized crime (with PI Hanne Fjelde and co-PI Annekatrin Deglow)
Upcoming talks:
May 16: Comparative Politics Seminar (Stockholm University)
Teaching
Quantitative Methods
21st Century Populism