Research

My research spans the fields of political psychology, communication and institutions.

Public Opinion Polarization

My flagship research addresses the sources and consequences of deep-seated political disagreement across a broad range of issues. I show how such ideological disagreement shapes affective reactions and how beliefs are structured and constrained differently across European countries and partisan camps.

  1. Tadeas Cely. 2025. One More Constrained Than The Other: Asymmetrical Ideological Alignment and Its Implications for Polarization. European Journal of Political Research 64 (4): 1945-1973.

  2. Tadeas Cely. 2025. Hatred Takes An Ideologue: Recognizable Belief Patterns Lead to More Animosity and Disagreement. Political Behavior.

  3. Tadeas Cely. 2025. New Threat of Culture Wars? The Religious Roots of Public Opinion Polarization on Morality Issues in Europe. European Union Politics 26 (2): 226-254.

Democratic Backsliding

Alongside polarization, democratic backsliding is a severe political threat that endangers civil rights and social harmony. My work primarily focuses on the role of individuals—voters and citizens—in preventing such backsliding. I also study interventions that help citizens serve as more reliable safeguards of democracy.

  1. Tadeas Cely, Marc Jacob, Sean Westwood. 2025. Levels of Office and Voter Accountability for Democratic Norm Violations. Public Opinion Quarterly.

  2. Tadeas Cely, Michal Tóth, Miroslav Nemčok, Peter Spáč. Democratic Cost of Politicizing Violent Events | Under Review |

Comparative Political Behavior

Studying public opinion and polarization has led me to reflect on a persistent gap. Despite few substantial reasons, Central and Eastern European countries are often omitted from such studies. Very little is known about political conflict in this region, which lies adjacent to the often-studied Western Europe. Together with my co-authors, we set out to fill this gap.

  1. Lenka Hrbkova, Tadeas Cely, Matej Jungwirth. Not Your Mama’s Ideology (But Close): Modest Generational Differences in Ideological Alignment in Post-Communist Europe | Public Opinion Quarterly

  2. Michal Toth, Tadeas Cely, Roman Chytilek. 2025. Facts Speak Louder? Comparing the Attention Effects of Moral and Factual Framing of Political Issues. Electoral Studies.

  3. Tadeas Cely, Lenka Hrbkova, Matej Jungwirth. Structures in Our Heads: Collective Identities and Partisan Alignment in Eastern Europe | Under Review

  4. Tadeas Cely, Andrew Roberts. Trust in Political Science Research | Under Review |