Sarah Sokhey

The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 19:35:53 +0000

The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 13:35

The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine

By: Isha Banerjee, Paula Ganga, Nadiia Kasianenko, Aliaksei Miadzvedz, Sarah Wilson Sokhey, Steven Van De Laarschot

Abstract:

Amidst a pandemic and war, public service provision in Ukraine has been delivered primarily at the local level. In this paper, we examine how democratic participation has influenced local public goods provision in Ukraine. We argue that local-level political engagement boosts local commitments to providing public goods. Using the Comprehensive Repository of Hromada-Level Data in Ukraine, we find that higher turnout in the 2020 local elections is correlated with more spending on social protection and less spending on healthcare and education in 2022, even when controlling for a host of other demographic, political, social, fiscal, and war-related factors. The results are robust to a variety of different models. Our findings lend insight into the effects of democratic participation on public goods provision, highlighting the local arena that has been vital for Ukraine resilience and will be crucial for its rebuilding.

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Foundations of Social Policy Support Under Heterogenous Tax Enforcement: Evidence from Survey and Laboratory Experiments

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:17:49 +0000

Foundations of Social Policy Support Under Heterogenous Tax Enforcement: Evidence from Survey and Laboratory Experiments Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:17

Foundations of Social Policy Support Under Heterogenous Tax Enforcement: Evidence from Survey and Laboratory Experiments

By: Israel Marques, Sarah Sokhey

Abstract:

What do citizens want from the government when the government functions poorly? We find that poorly functioning institutions play a significant role in citizens' redistributive preferences. Specifically, we argue that heterogeneity in tax enforcement creates both winners and losers, leading to under-explored cleavages in support for redistribution. Higher earners are more supportive of redistribution when they can more easily evade taxes. We use an original survey experiment to show that perceptions of pervasive tax evasion reduce support for social benefits. We then test our central argument using laboratory experiments simulating earned income and heterogeneity in tax evasion. We find that high earners prefer more redistribution when they can under-report their earned income, but only when the ability to evade taxes is heterogeneous. Our results indicate a nuanced causal explanation that counters some traditional explanations.

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Full View Russia response to COVID-19: Leveraging pre-pandemic data to theorize about public approval

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:15:11 +0000

Full View Russia response to COVID-19: Leveraging pre-pandemic data to theorize about public approval Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:15

Russia response to COVID-19: Leveraging pre-pandemic data to theorize about public approval

By: Sarah Wilson Sokhey

Abstract:

Why have Russians largely approved of the government pandemic response despite having one of the highest excess death rates in the world? The explanation is not that the government has done a good job, that citizens have come to expect little from the state in general, nor entirely because of a pro-government media. Drawing on pre-pandemic survey data, I argue that Russians’ opinions about state-provided healthcare shape their evaluation of the government response to COVID-19, and help explain approval of the government's pandemic reaction. Future research on Russian pandemic politics should account for the importance of prior assessments.

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Learning by doing: using an undergraduate research lab to promote diversity and inclusion

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:12:13 +0000

Learning by doing: using an undergraduate research lab to promote diversity and inclusion Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:12

Learning by doing: using an undergraduate research lab to promote diversity and inclusion

By: Jeffrey Nonnemacher, Sarah Wilson Sokhey

Abstract:

Undergraduate research labs have long been recognized as having educational and professional benefits, but much less attention has been given to how they can promote diversity and inclusion. Without a conscientious effort to promote these goals, labs are likely to replicate and perpetuate existing inequalities. This article discusses our experiences and lessons from launching an undergraduate research lab in a political science department at a research-oriented state university. It concludes with suggestions for other departments interested in starting undergraduate research labs. Promoting diversity and inclusion by working with undergraduates is unlikely if faculty are recruiting students individually outside of a lab, if the burden is on students to approach faculty, or if labs do not take practical steps to make this happen.

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Evaluating Whether a Learning by Doing Initiative Meets DEI Goals

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:09:29 +0000

Evaluating Whether a Learning by Doing Initiative Meets DEI Goals Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:09

Evaluating Whether a Learning by Doing Initiative Meets DEI Goals

By: Sarah Sokhey

Abstract:

How can we best evaluate if a learning by doing initiative is accomplishing its goals including its priorities in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion? Drawing on my own previously co-authored published work (Nonnemacher and Sokhey 2022), I discuss how diversity and inclusion goals inspired the creation of an undergraduate research lab at a large flagship state university. Studio Lab was created to match research mentors with undergraduate students who work as paid research assistants at the �Ͼ�Ʒ��. In 2020 Studio Lab began in the Department of Political Science, in 2021 it expanded to the Division of Social Sciences, and in 2022 it expanded to the College of Arts & Sciences. I present suggestions for those wishing to advance similar initiatives. I then focus on the DEI goals associated with the lab and provide a template for evaluating whether these goals are being met.

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Learning Together: Experimental Evidence on Promoting Connections in Remote Classes

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:07:56 +0000

Learning Together: Experimental Evidence on Promoting Connections in Remote Classes Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:07

Learning Together: Experimental Evidence on Promoting Connections in Remote Classes

By: Michelle E Benedum, Sarah E Brown, Tyler Garrett, Sarah Wilson Sokhey

Abstract:

How can instructors best foster connections among students when learning is fully remote? This article describes a pedagogical experiment conducted in two large introductory political science courses at a large public university in the 2020–2021 academic year. We randomly assigned groups of students to different sets of instructions on how to study together remotely for an exam. Our strongest finding is that almost any effort by an instructor prompting students to work together helps students to feel more connected to one another; however, students often need to see and hear one another to feel connected. We find this to be tremendously encouraging—relatively easy interventions can result in significant improvements in learning.

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Cracking the Nest Egg: Comparing Pension Politics in Post-Communist Russia and Hungary–ERRATUM

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:06:03 +0000

Cracking the Nest Egg: Comparing Pension Politics in Post-Communist Russia and Hungary–ERRATUM Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:06

Cracking the Nest Egg: Comparing Pension Politics in Post-Communist Russia and Hungary–ERRATUM

By: Daria Prisiazhniuk, Sarah Wilson Sokhey

Abstract:

In addition, the authors wish to make the following amendment to their acknowledgements: We would like to thank Professor Linda Cook and Professor Michael Titterton for organising this themed section and for their invaluable comments and suggestions on the article. Daria Prisiazhniuk acknowledges that the article was prepared within the framework of the Basic Research Program at HSE University.

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Triggering populist support in Europe: How internal political efficacy shapes the effect of economic vulnerability on party preferences

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:04:03 +0000

Triggering populist support in Europe: How internal political efficacy shapes the effect of economic vulnerability on party preferences Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:04

Triggering populist support in Europe: How internal political efficacy shapes the effect of economic vulnerability on party preferences

By: Marija Verner, Pavel Bačovský, Sarah Wilson Sokhey

Abstract:

When and why do economic grievances result in support for populist parties? We address a long-standing puzzle in understanding populist voters. Existing studies have produced mixed results about how economic characteristics drive support for populist parties. We argue this is because scholars have overlooked the central importance of internal political efficacy, i.e., a belief in one ability to affect political outcomes. Using three pooled waves of the European Social Survey (ESS 2014, 2016, and 2018) with over 80,000 individual observations over time, we find that the economic determinants of populist support are contingent on internal political efficacy. Although there are reasons to think that the combined effect of economic circumstances and efficacy may be stronger on support for the populist left because of their stronger emphasis on social justice, we do not find evidence of this with the limited observations of the populist left in our sample. Critically, our findings contrast with the simplified and theoretically unsatisfying explanations of populist support we often encounter in the literature that are based solely on economic dissatisfaction. Instead, our results imply that recent trends in European politics are not only about economic issues but also about a voter belief in having agency and competence to affect change.

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The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 17:01:34 +0000

The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 11:01

The effect of democratic participation on public goods provision: evidence from local governments in Ukraine

By: Isha Banerjee, Paula Ganga, Nadiia Kasianenko, Aliaksei Miadzvedz, Sarah Wilson Sokhey, Steven Van De Laarschot

Abstract:

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The local and regional dimension of Ukraine resilience during Russia full-scale invasion: an introduction

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 16:59:45 +0000

The local and regional dimension of Ukraine resilience during Russia full-scale invasion: an introduction Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 10:59

The local and regional dimension of Ukraine resilience during Russia full-scale invasion: an introduction

By: Inna Melnykovska, Sarah Wilson Sokhey

Abstract:

This introduction explores Ukraine local and regional democratic resilience during Russia full-scale invasion. It highlights how civic agency, informal networks of local stakeholders, and decentralized governance have enabled communities to adapt, mobilize, and uphold democratic institutions and values under extreme conditions. Drawing on empirical evidence and theoretical insights, the special issue rethinks resilience as a dynamic, multi-dimensional process rooted in bottom-up agency, societal transformation, and institutional reform. It emphasizes the importance of civic engagement, local accountability, and collaborative governance in sustaining democratic functionality during crisis. Ukraine experience offers critical lessons for understanding how democracies can endure, adapt, and recover in the face of existential threats, contributing to broader debates on governance, crisis response, and democratic resilience.

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