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Assoc. Prof

International Relations

Selim Erdem Aytaç

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Selim Erdem Aytaç is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Department of International Relations at Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University.

His research interests lie in political behavior with a focus on electoral accountability and political participation. His work has been published in the American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, and Comparative Political Studies, among others. Prof. Aytaç is the co-author (with Susan Stokes) of Why Bother? Rethinking Participations in Elections and Protests (Cambridge University Press, 2019).

Recent and Select Publications

Aytaç, Selim Erdem. (2021). Effectiveness of Incumbent’s Strategic Communication during Economic Crisis under Electoral Authoritarianism: Evidence from Turkey. American Political Science Review 115(4): 1517-1523

Aytaç, S. Erdem, Eli Rau, and Susan Stokes. (2020). Beyond Opportunity Costs: Campaign Messages, Anger, and Turnout among the Unemployed. British Journal of Political Science 50(4): 1325-1339.

Aytaç, Selim Erdem. (2020). Do Voters Respond to Relative Economic Performance? Evidence from Survey Experiments. Public Opinion Quarterly 84(2): 493-507.

Aytaç, S. Erdem, and Susan Stokes. (2019). Why Bother? Rethinking Participation in Elections and Protests. New York: Cambridge University Press (Studies in Comparative Politics).

Aytaç, Selim Erdem. (2018). Relative Economic Performance and the Incumbent Vote: A Reference Point Theory. Journal of Politics 80(1): 16-29

Main sub-Fields: Political

Research Interests

Behavior Comparative Politics

Political Behavior

Political Participation

Polarization

Electoral Accountability

Democratic Attitudes

Democratic Backsliding

  • 2014

    Ph.D. in Political Science, Yale University

  • 2023

    ERC Starting Grant (2023-2028)

  • 2020

    2020, David O. Sears Book Award of the International Society of Political Psychology

  • 2020

    2020, Encouragement Award, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)

  • 2018

    2018, Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award

  • 2018

    2018, Koç University Outstanding Faculty Award

  • 2016

    2016, Young Scientist Award (BAGEP), Science Academy, Turkey

Courses

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