Political Economy

Bio

I am an assistant professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The core pillar of my work investigates the environmental impacts of international trade and the political backlash these can generate. My research further examines the sociopolitical consequences of rapid immigration, focusing on fiscal outcomes, voting behavior, and the provision of public health services. In parallel, I study the growing use of artificial intelligence in 'high-risk' decision-making processes and its implications for economic opportunity. My research has been published in leading political science journals such as the Journal of European Public Policy and the British Journal of Political Science, as well as in interdisciplinary outlets including Global Environmental Change and Nature Sustainability.

​Find my CV here.

Working Papers

Political Budgeteering in Response to Demand Shocks: Local Fiscal Policies in Sweden Following the European Refugee Crisis and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Structural Gaps and Rising Demand: The Uneven Impact of Migration on Healthcare Waiting Times in Sweden (with Thomas Plümper).

The Rise of Anti-Immigration Parties: Migration, Crime, and the Electoral Success of the Sweden Democrats (with Thomas Plümper).

Candidate and Student Selection with AI: How Robust Are Decisions? (with Thomas Plümper and Susanne Warning).

Rethinking Response Methods in Conjoint-Experimental Designs (with E. Keith Smith).

Why ‘Softer’ Is Not Better: Re-Examining Costs and Support for Long-Term, Diffuse Public Goods Provision (with E. Keith Smith).

Does Self-Selection into Information Treatments Affect Inferences about Globalization Backlash? (with Robert Huber and Thomas Bernauer).

International Trade Agreements with Environmental Provisions Attract More Public Support Both in Higher and Lower-Income Countries (with Robert Huber and Thomas Bernauer).

Teaching Portfolio

I teach courses that engage with the following topics:

- Comparative and International Political Economy
- Environmental Politics and Sustainable Development
- Experimental Methods in the Social Sciences
- Political Systems and Public Policy
- Quantitative Social Research Methodology
- Research Design and Philosophy of Science

Contact

Dr. Dennis Kolcava
Institute for Political Economy of Public Policy
Welthandelsplatz 1, D4 3.026

1020 Vienna, Austria
Reach out here.

©2025 Dennis Kolcava