Stephen Whitefield

After writing my doctorate in 1991 on Soviet political and economic institutions (published as Industrial Power and the Soviet State by Oxford University Press in 1993 - Ed A. Hewett Prizewinner), I have spent the last 20 years studying post-Communist politics and society via mass surveys conducted repeatedly in 13 post-Communist countries. On the way, I became interested in the character of post-Communist and now West European political parties, which I am also investigating (with Robert Rohrschneider at Indiana University, Bloomington) via expert surveys of their stances towards European integration and social inequality. I am currently the Oxford PI on a Horizon/UKRI project on Neo-Athoritarianism in Europe.

Research

Russian and more broadly post-Communist comparative politics and societies, democratisation and consolidation, social inequality and its political consequences, political culture, political parties, partisanship and electoral choice.

Current and recent research grants:

Neo-authoritarianisms in Europe and the liberal democratic response.  Principal Investigator for the Oxford team’s contribution to the Horizon/UKRI project.  Neo-authoritarianisms in Europe and the liberal democratic response (AUTHLIB) | DPIR (ox.ac.uk)  October 2022-September 2025. 

‘Party Representation in Turbulent Times’.  Principal Investigator with Robert Rohrschneider.  BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants, 2017-19.

‘Nationalism and State-Building at a Crucial Turning Point: Democracy, Authoritarianism and Political Mobilisation in Ukraine and Russia’ (with Paul Chaisty).  John Fell Fund, 2014-16.

Support for Democracy in Egypt: A Crucial Point for the Country, A Crucial Test Case for Comparative Politics. Principal Investigator. ESRC Urgent Grant Support, 2013-15.

Party Representation in Times of Economic Crisis. Principal Investigator with Robert Rohrschneider. John Fell Fund Award, 2013.

The Dynamics of Political Development and its Cultural Expression in Post-Revolutionary Egypt. Principal Investigator, with Masen Hassan. British Academy International Mobility Scheme, 2012.

The 2012 Russian Presidential Election: A National Survey of Russians. Co-Principal Investigator with Paul Chaisty. Internal Oxford University funding.

Party Stances, Citizen Stances and Party Choice in the Founding Democratic Egyptian Election of 2011. Principal Investigator with Mazen Hassan and Elisabeth Kendall, Co-Investigators. Funding from Chris Rokkos and Pembroke College.

We were just using different words to mean the same thing: Exploring the Affective Norms of Political Party Manifestos. Principal Investigator, with Sara Hobolt and Eamonn Molloy. Fell Fund. 2011-12.

My research interests include:

Constitutions, Institutions and Governments, Democracy and Democratic Theory, Comparative Politics and Government , Institutions and organisations, Constitutions and Government, Democracy and Democratisation, Emotions, Equality, Political Parties

Teaching

Undergraduate:

• Introduction to Politics

• Comparative Government

• Political Sociology

• Russian Politics and Government

Graduate:

• Political Sociology of Post-Communism