Oplæg og editorial lessons ved Matt Levendusky

Talk and editorial lessons

On May 20-21, Professor Matt Levendusky from University of Pennsylvania will visit the department and give a talk on his new book, “Who Belongs? Status, Grievance, and Trump’s Remaking of American Politics” (see abstract below) on Wednesday, May 20, at 10:30-11:45 in room 1341-315. 

Also, Matt Levendusky currently serves as an Associate Editor at the American Journal of Political Science. Based on experiences from the first year, he will give an informal workshop on “Lessons Learned as AJPS Associate Editor” on Thursday, May 21, at 10:30-11:30 in room 1341-315.

Moreover, Matt Levendusky will have some time for individual/group meetings. If you would be interested in meeting with Matt, please write to Rune Slothuus (no later than Friday, May 8).

All are welcome, no registration needed. Please note, the two different dates!

Short bio:

Matthew Levendusky is Professor of Political Science and Communication, as well as the Stephen and Mary Baran Chair in the Institutions of Democracy at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on political behavior, broadly defined, with a particular interest in how institutions and political elites influence the political behavior of ordinary citizens. Levendusky has published many articles, and his latest book is Our Common Bonds: Using What American Share to Overcome the Partisan Divide (University of Chicago Press, 2023). He is the co-author of We Need to Talk: How Cross-Party Dialogue Reduces Affective Polarization (Cambridge 2021), Democracy Amid Crises: Polarization, Pandemic, Protests, and Persuasion (Oxford 2023), and Partisan Hostility and American Democracy (Chicago 2024). Levendusky’s work has been honored with a number of awards, including for best papers and books, the 2016 Erik Erikson Early Career Award from the International Society of Political Psychology, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2025. Learn more.  

Book abstract

“Who Belongs? Status, Grievance, and Trump’s Remaking of American Politics” 

Abstract: We argue that Donald Trump has reshaped contemporary American politics by centering it on two sets of beliefs: perceptions of group status—who should hold power—and grievance—whether one’s group has been unjustly harmed. Drawing on a unique 36-wave panel survey conducted between 2020 and 2025, we show that group status divides the parties from one another while grievance splits them internally. Together, group status and grievance explain a range of attitudes—from perceptions of discrimination, to trust in institutions, to beliefs about what it means to be American. Because these factors have come to structure opinions at a very fundamental level, they will continue to shape our politics for decades to come, long after Trump has left 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the final time.