Political Participation and Polarization

Branilović, S. & Kirbiš, A. (2026). Environmental issue polarization across democracies: Political orientation, environmental attitudes, and private-sphere pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 115, 103240.

Key finding: Using ISSP Environment IV data (2020–2022), right-wing orientation was associated with less pro-environmental private-sphere behaviour, partly through environmental attitudes; both direct and indirect associations were stronger in more liberal democracies.

Kirbiš, A., Lubej, M., & Branilović, S. (2026). From political news consumption to political participation: The mediating role of ideological polarization across 24 countries. International Journal of Sociology.

Key finding: Across 24 European countries (ESS Round 11), ideological polarization mediated the link between political-news consumption and participation only inconsistently, with positive indirect effects in just five to six countries.

Lubej, M., Dolezal, M., & Kirbiš, A. (2026). The impact of affective polarization on political participation: A systematic review. Political Studies.

Key finding: A systematic review of 18 studies found affective polarization is mostly positively associated with political participation, more strongly for institutional than non-institutional forms.

Kirbiš, A., Mattila, M., & Rapeli, L. (2023). Physical health conditions and political participation in Europe: The moderating effects of age. Comparative European Politics.

Key finding: Using European Social Survey data, most physical-health conditions mobilized people into political participation (except turnout), an effect strongest among younger citizens.

Kirbiš, A. & Lubej, M. (2025). The impact of health on voting intent among youth in nine Southeast European countries: A mediation analysis on the role of political trust. Journal of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies.

Key finding: Across nine Southeast European countries, political trust raised youth voting intentions, and it mediated the health-to-voting link only in Slovenia.

Kirbiš, A. (2021). Political orientation in youth beyond the left-right divide: Testing a three-factor model of political orientation and its relatedness to personal values. Journal of Youth Studies.

Key finding: Among Slovenian youth (N=1,015), a three-dimensional model (social, economic, international) captured political orientation better than the traditional left–right scale.

Kirbiš, A., Lamot, M., Kotnik, K., Tavčar Krajnc, M., & Javornik, M. (2019). The role of gender in participation and health among Slovenian youth: a regional comparison. Studia Historica Slovenica, 19(3), 847–874.

Focus: Gender, regional differences, participation, and health among Slovenian youth.

Kirbiš, A. (2018). Levels and determinants of youth political participation: regional inequalities and Northeastern Slovenia. Studia Historica Slovenica, 18(1), 61–82.

Focus: Regional inequalities in youth political participation, with a focus on northeastern Slovenia.

Kirbiš, A., Flere, S., Friš, D., Tavčar Krajnc, M., & Cupar, T. (2017). Predictors of conventional, protest, and civic participation among Slovenian youth: a test of the civic voluntarism model. International Journal of Sociology, 47(3), 182–207.

Focus: The civic voluntarism model and conventional, protest, and civic participation among Slovenian youth.

Kirbiš, A., & Flere, S. (2017). Political culture in the Yugoslav successor states. In Building democracy in the Yugoslav successor states: Accomplishments, setbacks, and challenges since 1990 (pp. 108–134). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-18074-1.

Focus: Political culture in the Yugoslav successor states.

Kirbiš, A. (2017). Politična kultura v postjugoslovanskih družbah [Political culture in post-Yugoslav societies]. Kulturni center. ISBN 978-961-6620-99-4.

Focus: Political culture in post-Yugoslav societies.

Kirbiš, A., & Zagorc, B. (2014). Politics and democracy. In Slovenian youth 2013: Living in times of disillusionment, risk and precarity (pp. 211–243). CEPYUS & Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. ISBN 978-953-7043-49-0.

Focus: Politics and democracy among Slovenian youth.

Flere, S., Klanjšek, R., Lavrič, M., Kirbiš, A., Tavčar Krajnc, M., Divjak, M., Boroja, T., Zagorc, B., & Naterer, A. (2014). Slovenska mladina 2013: življenje v času deziluzij, tveganja in prekarnosti [Slovenian youth 2013: Living in times of disillusionment, risk and precarity] [Research data]. Arhiv družboslovnih podatkov, Fakulteta za družbene vede.

Focus: Research data from the 2013 Slovenian youth study.

Kirbiš, A. (2013). Determinants of political participation in Western Europe, East-Central Europe and post-Yugoslav countries. In 20 years later: Problems and prospects of countries of former Yugoslavia (pp. 21–46). Center for the Study of Post-Yugoslav Societies, Faculty of Arts. ISBN 978-961-6656-99-3.

Focus: Determinants of political participation across Western Europe, East-Central Europe, and post-Yugoslav countries.

Kirbiš, A., & Tavčar Krajnc, M. (2013). Gender role attitudes in post-Yugoslav countries: a cross-national and longitudinal analysis. In 20 years later: Problems and prospects of countries of former Yugoslavia (pp. 151–176). Center for the Study of Post-Yugoslav Societies, Faculty of Arts. ISBN 978-961-6656-99-3.

Focus: Gender-role attitudes across post-Yugoslav countries over time.

Kirbiš, A. (2013). Political participation and non-democratic political culture in Western Europe, East-Central Europe and post-Yugoslav countries. In Democracy in transition: Political participation in the European Union (pp. 225–251). Springer. ISBN 978-3-642-30067-7.

Focus: Political participation and non-democratic political culture across three European regions.

Kirbiš, A., Flere, S., & Tavčar Krajnc, M. (2012). Netolerantnost v Sloveniji in Evropi: primerjalna in longitudinalna analiza [Intolerance in Slovenia and Europe: A comparative and longitudinal analysis]. Družboslovne razprave, 28(70), 27–50.

Focus: Intolerance in Slovenia and Europe in comparative and longitudinal perspective.

Tavčar Krajnc, M., Flere, S., & Kirbiš, A. (2012). Ethnic minorities and political participation: a comparative study of Post-Yugoslav countries. Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences, 5(1), 6–23.

Focus: Ethnic minorities and political participation across post-Yugoslav countries.

Flere, S., & Kirbiš, A. (2011). The image of Yugoslavia among post-yugoslav youth in 2009. Südosteuropa, 59(3), 330–348.

Focus: Perceptions of Yugoslavia among post-Yugoslav youth.

Kirbiš, A., & Flere, S. (2011). Podložniška politična kultura v postkomunističnih družbah: primerjalna študija postjugoslovanskih študentov [Subject political culture in postcommunist societies: A comparative study of post-Yugoslav students]. Družboslovne razprave, 27(66), 45–66.

Focus: Subject political culture among post-Yugoslav students in postcommunist societies.

Kirbiš, A., & Flere, S. (2011). Državljanska participacija: primerjalna analiza postjugoslovanskih entitet [Civic participation: A comparative analysis of post-Yugoslav entities]. Teorija in praksa, 48(2), 350–375.

Focus: Comparative analysis of civic participation across post-Yugoslav entities.

Kirbiš, A. (2011). Državljanska participacija slovenske in evropske mladine [Civic participation among Slovenian and European youth]. In Youth in focus of world changes / Mladi v presečišču svetovnih sprememb (pp. 1–10). IRDO. ISBN 978-961-92971-1-7.

Focus: Civic participation among Slovenian and European youth.

Kirbiš, A. (2011). Povezanost politične kulture in državljanske participacije: raziskava mladina 2010 [The relationship between political culture and civic participation: The Mladina 2010 study]. In Mladi 2010 (pp. 40–51). Subkulturni azil. ISBN 978-961-6620-20-8.

Focus: Political culture and civic participation in the Mladina 2010 study.

Kirbiš, A. (2011). Spol kot dejavnik državljanske participacije v Sloveniji: raziskava Mladina 2010 [Gender as a factor in civic participation in Slovenia: The Mladina 2010 study]. In Mladi 2010 (pp. 65–76). Subkulturni azil. ISBN 978-961-6620-20-8.

Focus: Gender as a factor in civic participation in Slovenia.

Kirbiš, A., & Flere, S. (2011). Participacija [Participation]. In Mladina 2010: Družbeni profil mladih v Sloveniji (pp. 177–247). Office for Youth & Aristej. ISBN 978-961-220-077-0.

Focus: Participation among young people in Slovenia; Slovenian-language chapter.

Kirbiš, A., & Flere, S. (2011). Participation. In Youth 2010: The social profile of young people in Slovenia (pp. 187–259). Office for Youth & Aristej. ISBN 978-961-220-078-7.

Focus: Participation among young people in Slovenia; English translation of the Slovenian-language chapter.

Lavrič, M. (with Flere, S., Tavčar Krajnc, M., Klanjšek, R., Musil, B., Naterer, A., Kirbiš, A., Divjak, M., & Lešek, P., research collaborators) (2011). Mladina 2010: družbeni profil mladih v Sloveniji [Youth 2010: The social profile of young people in Slovenia] [Research data]. Arhiv družboslovnih podatkov, Fakulteta za družbene vede.

Focus: Research data from Mladina 2010; Andrej Kirbiš contributed as a research collaborator.