Reto Bürgisser
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Zurich
Welcome!
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Political Science (IPZ) at the University of Zurich. Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bern. I hold a Ph.D. from the European University Institute.
My research lies at the intersection of political economy, economic sociology, and political behavior. I explore how governments navigate and manage the digital and green transitions, how citizens perceive and assess inclusive and sustainable economic, social, and environmental policies, and the social and political ramifications of these policy interventions.
Download my CV.
- Welfare States & Labor Markets
- Fiscal Policy
- Technological Change
- Green Transition
PhD European University Institute, 2019
MRes European University Institute, 2015
MA University of Zurich, 2014
BA University of Zurich, 2011
Publications
PDF Cite DOI Media: Social Europe Media: El País Media: Rivista il Mulino
PDF Cite Link to Publisher Policy Briefs: Anny Klawa-Morf Media: DeFacto 1 Media: DeFacto 2
Ongoing Research
Book Project
- The Politics of Welfare State Recalibration in Continental and Southern Europe (based on my Ph.D. thesis)
Technological Change
- Policy Responses to Technological Change in the Workplace. JRC Working Paper Series on Social Classes in the Digital Age.
- Can Policy Interventions Moderate Political Backlash to Structural Change? (with Thomas Kurer and Silja Häusermann)
- White Collar Automation: Labor Market Entry and Political Preferences (with Thomas Kurer)
- Support for Digitalization Policies: Evidence from the EU’s Next Generation Program (with Aina Gallego, Alex Kuo, and Silja Häusermann)
Political Economy of Climate Change
- Can Information, Party Cues, and Compensation Increase Mass Support for Green Taxes? (with Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen and Klaus Armingeon). Preprint.
- The Limits of Compensation: Perceived Climate Change Vulnerability and Environmental Policy Preferences (with Benedikt Seisl)
- Elite Discourse and Mass Attitudes Towards Green and Digital Industrial Policies (with Björn Bremer, Fabio Bulfone, and Timo Seidl)
- Decarbonization and Political Backlash
Welfare State
- How Perceived Distributive Effects Shape Labor Market Policy Support (with Silja Häusermann and Fabienne Eisenring). URPP Equality of Opportunity Discussion Paper Series #37.
- Generational Variation in Welfare Preferences across the GALTAN Divide (with Matthias Enggist, Silja Häusermann and Michael Pinggera)
- How Can Solidaristic Reforms Succeed? A Case Study of the German Grundrentereform (with Fabienne Eisenring and Silja Häusermann)
- The Relational Aspect of Social Investment: Evidence from Recipients' Evaluations of a French Active Labor Market Policy (with Paulus Wagner and Thomas Kurer)
- Social Democracy, Intra-Party Class Heterogeneity, and Labor Market Reforms
- Class Constituencies of Liberalizing and De-liberalizing Social Democratic Parties in Government (with Klaus Armingeon)
Political Economy of Tourism-Led Growth
- Sunshine States in World Markets: When States Capitalize on their Comparative Advantage in Tourism (with Donato di Carlo)
- Tourism as a Developmental Strategy in Peripheral Economies (with Donato Di Carlo)
Teaching
University of Zurich
- Swiss Politics in Comparative Perspective, BA Lecture, Fall Term 2024.
- The Political Economy of Climate Change, MA Seminar, Spring Term 2024.
- The Political Economy of Climate Change, MA Seminar, Spring Term 2023.
- The Politics of the Welfare State, BA Specialization Seminar, Fall/Spring Term 2021/2022.
- Political Consequences of Technological Change, MA Seminar, Spring Term 2021.
- Swiss Economic and Social Policy in Comparative Perspective, BA Seminar, Spring Term 2020.
- Political Consequences of Technological Change, MA Seminar, Spring Term 2020.
University of Bern
- Causes and Consequences of the Crisis in Southern Europe, BA Seminar, Fall Term 2019.
Awarded with the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Science. - States and Markets: Introduction to Comparative Political Economy, BA Seminar, Spring Term 2019.
Awarded with the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Science. - Causes and Consequences of the Crisis in Southern Europe, BA Seminar, Fall Term 2018.
European University Institute
- Introduction to Quantitative Methods, Ph.D. Seminar, Fall Term 2015 (with Fabrizio Bernardi).
- Catch-Up Course in Data Analysis, Ph.D. Block Seminar, Fall Term 2015.
Supervision
- 10+ MA theses
- 15+ BA theses
Outreach
Media
Migration de l’électorat autour de la social-démocratie suisse, DeFacto, 2 March 2023.
Le potentiel électoral de la social-démocratie suisse, DeFacto, 1 March 2023.
Wählerwanderungen rund um die Schweizer Sozialdemokratie, DeFacto, 16 November 2022.
Das Wählerpotenzial der Schweizer Sozialdemokratie, DeFacto, 16 November 2022.
Turismo, volano di crescita del sud Europa?, La Rivista il Mulino, 7 October 2022.
Turismo en el sur de Europa: potencial y peligros, Agenda Pública / El País, 19 September 2022.
Tourism in southern Europe: potential and perils, Social Europe, 13 September 2022.
Policy Briefs and Reports
Das Wählerpotenzial der Schweizer Sozialdemokratie, Anny-Klawa-Morf Policy Brief, November 2022.
Wählerwanderungen rund um die Schweizer Sozialdemokratie, Anny-Klawa-Morf Policy Brief, November 2022.
Analyse der Eidgenössischen Abstimmung vom 18. Mai 2014, VOX-Analysen.
Contact
- Department of Political Science, University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland,