Research Papers
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Cayton, Frances, and Bryn Rosenfeld. 2025. “Democratic Backsliding and the Politicization of Public Employment,” in Global Challenges to Democracy: Comparative Perspectives on Backsliding, Autocracy, and Resilience, eds. Valerie J. Bunce, Thomas B. Pepinsky, Rachel Beatty Riedl, and Kenneth M. Roberts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 89–117.
Blackington, Courtney and Frances Cayton. “To Dog-Whistle or to Bark? Elite Communication Strategies When Invoking Conspiracy Theories.” Government and Opposition. 2025;60(2):382-403. doi:10.1017/gov.2024.21. [Press: ECPR’s The Loop].
Blackington, Courtney and Frances Cayton. “How to Stay Popular: Threat, Framing, and Conspiracy Theory Longevity. Perspectives on Politics. 2024;22(4):1118-1139. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592723003006. [Press: ECPR’s The Loop]
Academic Working Papers
I have a range of academic papers in progress related to the broad themes of democratic preferences, specifically as it relates to civic engagement, polarization, and political communication. My work spans both historical and contemporary cases. I organize these works by topic and current status below.
Civic Engagement
Working Papers
Mass Media, Social Networks, and Autocratic Resistance: Evidence from Radio Free Europe. Working paper, draft available upon request.
Civil Engagement, De-Polarization, and Crises. Working paper, draft available upon request.
Elite Preferences in Illiberal Party-Civil Society Relationships: Evidence from Poland and Hungary. Working paper, draft available upon request.
Democratic Preferences and Resilience
Working Papers
Conspiracy Theory Communication Strategies and Support for Anti-Democratic Behavior, with Courtney Blackington (Pittsburgh). R&R, draft available upon request.
Works in Progress
Conceptual Slippage and Sensitivity Bias in the Interpretation of List Experiments, with Bryn Rosenfeld (Cornell); data collected.
Popular Understandings of Democracy, with Rachel Beatty Riedl (Cornell), Paul Friesen (Cornell), Kenneth Roberts (Cornell), Javier Sajuria (QMUL), and Andrea Tesei (QMUL), survey fielding summer 2025.
Democratic Restoration and Its Tradeoffs: Evidence from Five Cases of Backsliding, with Hanna Folsz (Stanford), survey fielding summer 2025.
Stakes and Affective Polarization, with Felix Beilin (Princeton); data collected.
Endogenous Opposition Coalitions in Resuscitating Democracy, with Elvin Ong (National University of Singapore), work in progress.
Historical Persecution and Political Threats
Works in Progress
The Enemy of my (Historical) Enemy is My Friend: Evidence from the Wołyń Massacre, with Isabelle DeSisto (Princeton), data collected.
From Ink to Iron: the Malleus Maleficarum and Witchcraft Trials in 17th Century Poland, with Alexandra Cirone (LSE) and Greta Schenke (Cornell); data collection on-going.