Bio
I am a PhD Candidate studying political science at the University of California Davis. I research the ways that populism leads to hatred and contention among both populists and non-populists. I am also interested in the relationship between citizens’ feelings about democracy and their support or opposition to populist parties. I have a secondary interest in monarchies in modern democracies and on whether they have any real effect on political outcomes.
I grew up in Everett, Washington, and have lived in Utah, Virginia, and now California.
Education
PhD in Political Science, 2026 (expected) | University of California Davis
BA in Political Science, 2021 | Brigham Young University
Research interests
Populism | Affective Polarization | Support for Democracy | Monarchy
Publications
- Davis, Braeden, Jay Goodliffe, Kirk Hawkins. 2025. “The Two-Way Effects of Populism on Affective Polarization.” Comparative Political Science. Available Here
Working Papers
- “The Left Right Divide in Democratic Disappointment and Populism in Europe.” Braeden Davis. (Under Review) Available Here
- “Happy and Glorious? Experimental Evidence on the Sometimes-Unifying Effects of the British Monarchy.” Braeden Davis. (Under Review) Available Here
- “Who Attacks Whom? The Determinants of Cross-National Conflict in the European Union: Populism and Euroscepticism.” James Adams, Josephine Andrews, Braeden Davis, and Alexa Federice. (Under Review) Available Here
- “What Do Electoral Losers Worry About? Democracy, Policy, or Overall Well-Being?” Braeden Davis, Yu-Shiuan Huang. (Under Review) Available Here
- “How to Treat Populists: Elite Conflict and Changes in European Parties’ Vote Shares.” Braeden Davis, Alexa Federice. Available Here