DAMIEN BOL
Sciences Po Paris
I'm a professor of political science at Sciences Po Paris, working on comparative political behavior. I previously held positions at King’s College London (2015-2023) and the University of Montreal (2012-2015). I received my PhD in political science from UCLouvain in 2013.
My research examines how citizens experience elections and representative democracy, with a focus on both institutional design and democratic values. I use survey and experimental methods, primarily in France, the US, the UK, Canada, and Belgium, which are my main countries of expertise. While I am a political scientist by training, I frequently collaborate with economists, particularly social choice theorists and behavioral economists. I have published over 50 articles in a range of journals in political science and economics.
Beyond research, I also enjoy helping build academic communities. At King's College London, I was the Director of the Quantitative Political Economy Group, QPE, which gathers around 50 faculty members and PhD students. In France, I've been directing the Electoral Studies Network (Réseau d’Études Électorales en France, REEF), which brings together about 150 researchers across social sciences and from dozens of universities.
I sometimes try to participate in the public debate in France and elsewhere, particularly on issues related to elections and democracy, see for example these op-eds in Le Monde.
SELECTED RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
(for a full list of publications, see here)
(2026) Renewing Democracy: How Exposure to Electoral Turnovers Reinforces Citizens' Democratic Support. World Politics
(2023) Public Support for Citizens' Assemblies Selected through Sortition: Evidence from 15 Countries. European Journal of Political Research
(2021) The Effect of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Political Support: Some Good News for Democracy? European Journal of Political Research
(2019) Electoral Rules, Strategic Entry, and Polarization. Journal of Public Economics
(2016) Still Lost in Translation! A Correction of Three Misunderstandings Between Configurational Comparativists and Regressional Analysts. Comparative Political Studies