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.

  [Abstract]

• Blackington, Courtney and Frances Cayton. “To Dog-Whistle or to Bark? Elite Communication Strategies When Invoking Conspiracy Theories.” Government & Opposition. 2025;60(2):382-403. doi:10.1017/gov.2024.21.

  [Abstract] [Coverage: 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.

  [Abstract] [Replication Materials] [Coverage: ECPR’s The Loop]

Working Papers

1. Mass Media, Social Networks, and Autocratic Resistance: Evidence from Radio Free Europe.  Draft available upon request.

2. Civil Society, Depolarization, and Crises. Draft available upon request.

3. Conspiracy Theory Communication Strategies and Support for Anti-Democratic Behavior, with Courtney Blackington (Pittsburgh). R&R, American Journal of Political Science, draft available upon request.

4. The Victory Trap: Endogenous Opposition Coalitions in Reversing Autocracy, with Elvin Ong (National University of Singapore), under review.

Works in Progress

1. How We Frame the Sensitive Item in List Experiments, with Bryn Rosenfeld (Cornell); data collected. 

2. Stakes and Affective Polarization, with Felix Beilin (Princeton); data collected.

3. The Enemy of my (Historical) Enemy is My Friend: Evidence from the Wołyń Massacre, with Isabelle DeSisto (Princeton), data collected.

4. Democratic Restoration and Its Tradeoffs: Evidence from Five Cases of Backsliding, with Hanna Folsz (Stanford), survey fielding fall 2025.

5. Popular Understandings of Democracy, with Rachel Beatty Riedl (Cornell), Paul Friesen (Cornell), Kenneth Roberts (Cornell), Javier Sajuria (QMUL), and Andrea Tesei (QMUL), survey fielding fall 2025.

6. Partisan Rationalization of (Real) Democratic Attacks, with Rachel Beatty Riedl (Cornell), Paul Friesen (Cornell), Kenneth Roberts (Cornell), Javier Sajuria (QMUL), and Andrea Tesei (QMUL), survey fielding fall 2025.

Non-Peer Reviewed Work

1. Cayton, Frances and Prisca Jost, interview with Valerie Bunce, “Pathbreaking Women in Comparative Politics: Valerie Bunce on Taking Chances and Living Change,'' Comparative Politics Newsletter and Governance Uncovered Podcast, Governance and Local Development Institute, eds. Ellen Lust and Kate Baldwin, Fall 2025.

2. Populism’s Dual Use of Conspiracy Theories, with Courtney Blackington, ECPR’s The Loop, 2025.

3. Why do some Conspiracy Theories Stay Popular?, with Courtney Blackington, ECPR’s The Loop, 2024.