I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Zürich. I am also the lead editor of the British Journal of Political Science. My research centers around democratic institutions, representation, and data science.

In Comparative Politics, I  focus on representation and political institutions that enable representation. One fundamental question is the emergence and origin of institutions. How do polities introduce democratic political institutions? I am also interested in direct democratic institutions and how they interact with elements of the representative system in which they are embedded. Past work has looked at historical changes of the electoral system, the introduction of direct democratic institutions, and how direct democracy leads to more policy congruence.

Within data science, I have been working on survey methodology and on ways to use non-probability based samples. Past research has provided alternative MrP (multilevel regression with post-stratification) models that have relaxed data requirements (MrsP). In addition, I have also explored how one can leverage machine learning algorithms to improve small-area estimation (autoMrP).  Together with Fabio Wasserfallen, I run the largest online poll in Switzerland and survey voters up to fourteen times a year.

My academic CV: CV_Leemann