Can we increase students’ grasp and integration of research methods in political science, and do so in a fun way? We believe the answer is yes. In this article, we introduce the workshop-based narrative framework “The Tale of Folke Folkesson,” where students role-play as the methods expert group Linnaeus Opinion Laboratory (LOL). Through an interactive engagement with the story, students are exposed to the combined utility of various qualitative and quantitative techniques such as content analysis, survey research, experiments, and interviews. This methodological exercise enables students to recognize not only the individual strengths and weaknesses of each method, but also how one method can offset the limitations and/or amplify the benefits of another. Importantly for student learning, it does so in a fun and engaging way. Beyond introducing the narrative framework, we describe how educators can adapt the “Tale of Folke Folkesson” to meet their specific educational needs.

Claims of election fraud have appeared in connection with a number of national elections in recent years, even in countries that have generally been considered as democratic role models. The spread of disinformation regarding elections can lead to an erosion of trust for the process of electing democratic leaders, and can also be indicative of declining trust in the entire political system and its institutions, posing a challenge for a cohesive, democratic society(Berlinski et al., 2023).

The Nordic countries are not exempt from seeing a claims of election fraud and other types of disinformation proliferate in connection with elections appear in recent years (see e.g.Akerbæk & Skiphamn, 2021; Kaati & Shrestha, 2023; Runge, 2019). Yet in the context of disinformation about elections, even specifically claims of fraud, the issue in the Nordics pales in comparison to that of in other countries. In the U.S. for example, accusations of election misconduct are not new (Filindra et. al., 2023), but erupted most dramatically after the 2020 election. The highly publicized events of January 6th, 2021 made it clear that a large number of individuals believed very strongly in a conspiracy having taken place that had caused former President Donald Trump to lose the election.

Based upon developments in recent years, experiences in the Nordics and the U.S. in the context of online narratives of election fraud thus seem like polar opposites. However, online narratives and conspiracies proliferate online without regard for national borders. Extreme platforms where such conspiracies are spread are frequented by different kinds of users from different parts of the world, and can even end up appearing in far more mainstream settings (e.g. Åkerlund, 2021). This paper aims to examine the phenomenon of a form of conspiracy contamination across national borders, where an online narrative regarding elections beingrigged spreads from one national context to a wholly different one. The case under examination is Sweden and the study comprises the last two national elections, i.e., 2018 and 2022, in order to see any kind of effect of the U.S. conspiracy narrative regarding the election on Swedish online discussions. The platforms that will be examined are Flashback and 4chan.

Covert online operations aiming to affect another country’s election and overall political stability constitute a serious threat to liberal democracies. Sweden and other Nordic countries have fared relatively well in this regard, yet research shows how mere exposure to different types of accusations of elections being rigged can have negative effects on voters’ faith in democratic norms (Albertson & Guiler, 2020). The study highlights the importance of domestic discussions being open to foreign influence, even though no efforts of organized election interference are carried out.

For the last two decades, the death penalty in the US has steadily declined. During this time, governors have at rare but crucial moments participated in shaping the death penalty in their respective states by issuing vetoes. Gubernatorial vetoes have in some cases been used not only to prevent abolition from occurring, but also to bar the state from enacting legislation to expand it. However, little is known about what factors influence the decision to veto these often very controversial bills. Analysis of a unique dataset of death penalty bills covering years 1999–2018 suggests that a governor’s individual attributes, as well as institutional factors, have an effect on the likelihood of a veto in the legislative context of the death penalty, with different aspects of time in office, experience and partisanship being of particular relevance.

LVU-kampanjen och koranbränningarna har blottat sårbarheter i den svenska opinionsbildningen med globala konsekvenser. Konflikter kring sociala myndigheters ingripanden, yttrandefrihetens och hetslagstiftningens gränser och kulturell rasism i de digitala mediernas tidevarv visar hur utsatta de svenska medierna och därmed offentligheten är för möjliga påverkanskampanjer och desinformation. Berättelserna om maktmissbruk och myndigheternas övertramp slår an strängar i konspirationsteoretiskt meningsskapande där olika samhällsgrupper ställs mot varandra. 

Den känslobaserade mobiliseringen av engagemang i sociala medier online men också symbolhandlingar offline eller IRL (in real life) ställer medierna inför ett antal utmaningar. Påverkanskampanjer utvecklar särskild kraft när de skjuter in sig på äkta och upplevda orättvisor och känslor av maktlöshet. Den journalistiska nyhetsförmedlingen hotas, men också myndighetsutövningen. Vad kan medierna lära sig av LVU-kampanjen och koranbränningar som hypermediala fenomen där den äkta och virtuella verkligheten förstärker varandra? Går det att återupprätta förtroende i den journalistiska rapporteringen? 

Across the past year a huge Twitter campaign against the Swedish social services authorities has been launched. A previous study examining Arab Diaspora online platforms in Sweden underlined that the Arab diaspora online community in Sweden was angry and hostile describing alleged abuses of Swedish social benefits. Racialization and discrimination discourses were revealed in the analysis. Racialization appeared in different levels. The “us” and “them” dichotomy appeared during disagreements. Commentators repeatedly noted their difficulties in being considered Swedish and impressions of discrimination as a result. A discussion among diaspora community construct life in Sweden between Utopia and dystopia. The current study aims at looking at the latest crisis with the social services and examine if the twitter movement in this case construct emotional mobilization and if there are other actors who contribute to the escalation abusing the situation of immigrants in Sweden. 

Election interference poses a threat to nations around the world. Potential negative effects include depressed public participation in the political process and elections, artificially exaggerated polarization among different groups in society and a decrease in trust among voters for the election system and in the long run, democracy itself. While different forms of interference in the election process is not a new phenomenon, the advent of the Internet has facilitated interference via digital means, originating either outside the nation’s borders or from within. Sweden is no exception to being a subject of attempts of election interference, even though its election system is generally regarded as trustworthy and of a high standard. This study focuses on the 2022 Swedish election and the perceived threats of electoral interference via digital means, as well as claims of interference having taken place, as discussed in Swedish media. The results show that while Swedish media reported on both threats ahead of the election, as well as claims of different forms of interference having taken place, the integrity of Sweden’s election system seems to have remained intact. Of primary concern are issues that can be connected with attempts of interference that have a domestic angle, pertaining primarily to the spread of disinformation online about alleged election fraud.