Reto Bürgisser

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, comparative politics, 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.

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Interests
  • Welfare States & Labor Markets
  • Fiscal Policy
  • Technological Change
  • Green Transition
Education

  • PhD European University Institute, 2019

  • MRes European University Institute, 2015

  • MA University of Zurich, 2014

  • BA University of Zurich, 2011

Publications

Björn Bremer, Reto Bürgisser (2025). Lower Taxes at All Costs? Evidence From a Survey Experiment in Four European Countries. Journal of European Public Policy 32(5), 1225-1252.

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Enggist, Matthias, Reto Bürgisser, Häusermann, Silja, Pinggera, Michael (2025). The Welfare Preferences of Socially Liberal and Socially Conservative Voters. West European Politics.

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Reto Bürgisser, Stadelmann-Steffen, Isabelle, Armingeon, Klaus (2024). Can Information, Compensation and Party Cues Increase Mass Support for Green Taxes?. Journal of European Public Policy.

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Björn Bremer, Reto Bürgisser (2023). Public Opinion on Welfare State Recalibration in Times of Austerity: Evidence from Survey Experiments. Political Science Research and Methods 11(1), 34-52.

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Reto Bürgisser (2023). Policy Responses to Technological Change in the Workplace. JRC Working Paper Series on Social Classes in the Digital Age 2023/04, 1-21.

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Reto Bürgisser, Donato Di Carlo (2023). Blessing or Curse? The Rise of Tourism-Led Growth in Europe’s Southern Periphery. Journal of Common Market Studies 61(1), 236-258.

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Silja Häusermann, Reto Bürgisser (2023). Family Policy. The Oxford Handbook of Swiss Politics. Oxford University Press.

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Björn Bremer, Reto Bürgisser (2023). Do Citizens Care About Government Debt? Evidence From Survey Experiments on Budgetary Priorities. European Journal of Political Research 62(1), 239-263.

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Silja Häusermann, Tarik Abou-Chadi, Reto Bürgisser, Matthias Enggist, Reto Mitteregger, Nadja Mosimann, Delia Zollinger (2022). Wählerschaft und Perspektiven der Sozialdemokratie in der Schweiz. NZZ Libro.

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Reto Bürgisser (2022). The Partisan Politics of Family and Labor Market Policy Reforms in Southern Europe. in Garritzmann, J., S. Häusermann, and B. Palier (eds.). The World Politics of Social Investment (Volume II): The Politics of Varying Social Investment Strategies. Oxford University Press.

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Silja Häusermann, Reto Bürgisser (2022). Familienpolitik. Handbuch der Schweizer Politik. NZZ Libro.

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Reto Bürgisser, Thomas Kurer (2021). Insider–Outsider Representation and Social Democratic Labor Market Policy. Socio-Economic Review 19(3), 1065–1094.

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Macarena Ares, Reto Bürgisser, Silja Häusermann (2021). Attitudinal Polarization Towards the Redistributive Role of the State in the Wake of the COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties 31(S1), 41-55.

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Klaus Armingeon, Reto Bürgisser (2021). Trade-Offs Between Redistribution and Environmental Protection: the Role of Information, Ideology, and Self-Interest. Journal of European Public Policy 28(4), 489-509.

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Reto Bürgisser (2019). The Politics of Welfare State Recalibration in Continental and Southern Europe. Ph.D. Thesis. Department of Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute.

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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 Government Policies Moderate Political Backlash to Structural Change? (with Thomas Kurer, Silja Häusermann, Susana de Pinho Tavares)
  • White Collar Automation: Labor Market Entry and Political Preferences (with Thomas Kurer)
  • Who Wants to Accelerate Digitalization? Evidence from the Next Generation EU Program (with Aina Gallego, Alex Kuo, and Silja Häusermann)
  • The Political Conflict Potential of Digitalization (with Álvaro Canalejo-Molero, Mathilde M. van Ditmars, and Alexander H. Trechsel)

Climate Change

  • The Limits of Compensation: Perceived Climate Change Vulnerability and Environmental Policy Preferences (with Benedikt Seisl)
  • How People Reason About Industrial Policy (with Björn Bremer, Fabio Bulfone, Donato di Carlo, and Timo Seidl)
  • Decarbonization and Political Backlash: Evidence from France.

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.
  • 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

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

  • Social democracy in the 21st century in Switzerland and Europe, BA Seminar, Spring 2025.
  • The Political Economy of Climate Change, MA Seminar, Spring 2025.
  • Swiss Politics in Comparative Perspective, BA Lecture, Fall 2024.
  • The Political Economy of Climate Change, MA Seminar, Spring 2024.
  • The Political Economy of Climate Change, MA Seminar, Spring 2023.
  • The Politics of the Welfare State, BA Specialization Seminar, Fall/Spring 2021/2022.
  • Political Consequences of Technological Change, MA Seminar, Spring 2021.
  • Swiss Economic and Social Policy in Comparative Perspective, BA Seminar, Spring 2020.
  • Political Consequences of Technological Change, MA Seminar, Spring 2020.

University of Bern

  • Causes and Consequences of the Crisis in Southern Europe, BA Seminar, Fall 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 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 2018.

European University Institute

  • Introduction to Quantitative Methods, Ph.D. Seminar, Fall 2015 (with Fabrizio Bernardi).
  • Catch-Up Course in Data Analysis, Ph.D. Block Seminar, Fall 2015.

Supervision

  • 10+ MA theses
  • 15+ BA theses

Outreach

Media

Policy Briefs and Reports

Contact

  • Department of Political Science, University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland,