Nicholas C. Dias

Hello there! My name is Nic Dias, and I am a postdoctoral fellow at Aarhus University, where I work on the PARTYOPINION project under Rune Slothuus. I recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a PhD in Political Science and Communication.

My research is motivated by three interrelated questions: Are citizens good custodians of democracy? What psychological and structural forces shape their success or failure in that role? And what interventions—informational or institutional—help democracy work better? My dissertation challenged the long-held belief that citizens’ policy opinions are often “unprincipled” — that is, inconsistent with their underlying values and interests. Instead, I argued that citizens’ opinions appear less principled than they are, due to flaws in how scholars have evaluated citizens’ opinions. In other work, I have studied polarization’s causes, consequences, and potential remedies.

I love teaching, and I care a lot about my students. In Fall 2025, I will teach a seminar at Aarhus University on why millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump. I have led seminars on American politics and data science. Before pursuing my PhD, I taught journalists how to monitor social media for misinformation, check the authenticity of claims and images, and write effective corrections. If you are a former student of mine, please say hello!

If you want to contact me, send an email to niccdias@ps.au.dk. I would be happy to hear from you.