Nicholas C. Dias

Hi, I’m Nic! I’m a postdoc at Aarhus University, where I work on the PARTYOPINION project under Rune Slothuus. I have a PhD in Political Science and Communication from the University of Pennsylvania. In January 2027, I will join Stony Brook University’s Department of Political Science as an assistant professor.

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

I love teaching, and I care a lot about my students. In Fall 2025, I taught 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.