Conor O’dwyer
Biographic Data
| ID | 3922018 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Conor O’dwyer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Conor |
| FAMILY NAME | O’dwyer |
| SIGNATURE | O’DWYER C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Florida |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9538-5262 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 229 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2004 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 8 |
When Do Local Governments Discriminate? Lessons from the Diffusion of “LGBT Free Zones” in Poland
Between 2019 and 2020, amidst national-level democratic backsliding under the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, a wave of Polish municipal governments adopted a template of discriminatory policies, creating so-called “LGBT Free Zones” and countering a growing trend of “human rights cities.” What factors might explain this discriminatory diffusion? Drawing on three research traditions regarding diffusion—the social movement literature on d…
Backsliding versus Backlash
If third-wave democratization propelled gains in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual, asexual, and pansexual (LGBTQIAP) empowerment globally, does the contemporary wave of democratic backsliding imperil those gains? To what extent does the potential threat from such institutional erosion depend on the presence of right-wing populists in government, i.e., backlash? Can both threats be moderated by international pressure? Here, …
The demography of intolerance
We analyse attitudes toward homosexuality in postcommunist- and Western Europe, focusing on two distinctive postcommunist demographic trends: dramatic and rapid declines in fertility, which may spark fears about the "future of the nation" (fertility threat) and persistently elevated mortality rates, which evoke feelings of insecurity and sustain "survival values" that are less tolerant of homosexuality (mortality threat). We probe this theorisati…
Local-Level Democratic Backsliding? The Consolidation of Aspiring Dominant-Party Regimes in Hungary and Poland
Aspiring dominant-party regimes often institute major institutional and political reforms at the national level to ensure they retain control. However, subnational politics is an important, under-studied, component of regime consolidation. This study uses mayoral races in Hungary and Poland from 2006 to 2018 to examine two factors that may inhibit dominant-party regime consolidation in local politics: the use of two-round, i.e. runoff, electoral …
Acronyms
Coming Out of Communism
This book offers a close study of the rapidly evolving politics of LGBT rights in postcommunist Europe, where social attitudes have historically marginalized the issue and where the legacy of weak civil society has handicapped activism in general. What happens in societies such as these when increased exposure to transnational institutions such as the European Union and the minority-rights norms that they promote brings new visibility to LGBT iss…
Europeanization of attitudes towards homosexuality
How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the role of education in this process? These questions matter because the EU aspires to be not only a regulatory regime but also a community of values. Addressing both the common elision of attitudes and the underappreciation of education in Europeanization research, this article analyses the EU’s impact on attitudes towards homosexuality in third countrie…
The Benefits of Backlash
How can we explain variation in the organization of LGBT activism in postcommunist Europe, both across countries and over time? Much of the extant scholarship has analyzed the comparative politics of homosexuality in the region in terms of transnational norm diffusion occurring within the context of EU accession and integration. Thus, it emphasizes the empowerment of domestic gay rights groups either through maximizing the leverage of their exter…
What Accounts for Party System Stability? Comparing the Dimensions of Party Competition in Postcommunist Europe
Why do party systems stabilise quickly in some new democracies while others remain in extended flux? As a core variable of comparative politics, party system stability has led scholars to generate various theoretical explanations, but consensus is still lacking. Given its widely divergent party systems, postcommunist Europe presents an important opportunity to revisit stability's determinants. Applying hypotheses derived from theories about compe…
Does the EU help or hinder gay-rights movements in post-communist Europe? The case of Poland
Gay rights would seem an area of politics largely untouched by the changes wrought by Eastern Europe's democratic transitions and accession to the European Union (EU). Against the conventional wisdom, this article argues that the broader picture in the region is actually one of increasing rights and better-organised, more influential gay-rights movements and that these developments were catalysed by EU accession. It also argues, however, that the…
Minority rights after EU enlargement
From Conditionality to Persuasion? Europeanization and the Rights of Sexual Minorities in Post‐Accession Poland
Through an examination of sexual minorities’ rights in Poland, this paper compares the effectiveness of ‘external incentives’ and ‘social learning’ as Europeanization mechanisms after EU enlargement in post‐communist Europe. The politics surrounding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Poland raise questions about the EU’s capacity to foster norms of tolerance and non‐discrimination now that accession has weakene…
Re-stating Party Development in Central and Eastern Europe
I would like to begin by thanking Sean Hanley for his perceptive and stimulating reading of these books. For me, it is still surprising that two books that were conceived, researched, and written independently could speak so directly to each other in so many respects. There are divergences and differences of opinion, naturally, but as Hanley’s review skilfully shows, even the seeming disconnects between accounts may in many cases actually highlig…
And the last shall be first
Runaway State-Building
Does Decentralisation Make Government More Efficient and Effective
In this paper we use a broad cross-national sample to test decentralisation's relationship with two important indicators of the quality of governance: efficiency and effectiveness. Contrary to much of the conventional wisdom, we find that the effects of decentralisation are minimal when controlling for basic structural variables such as per capita GDP and degree of democracy. In addition we find that different types of decentralisation – fiscal, …
Reforming Regional Governance in East Central Europe
In recent years, a number of East Central European (ECE) governments have undertaken to radically alter the territorial structures of their public administration. Some have suggested that this development represents the growing Europeanization of ECE politics, in particular the role of the European Union. This article questions that view by examining the crucial role of domestic party politics in the enactment and implementation of regional gover…
Runaway State Building
Why has the rate of expansion of postcommunist state administrations varied so widely among countries that are at comparable stages of economic transition, have similar formal institutions, and have been equally exposed to the dynamics of EU integration? Based on a close comparison of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, the author argues that the critical factor in postcommunist state building is the robustness of party competition. The leg…
Does the EU help or hinder gay-rights movements in post-communist Europe? The case of Poland
Gay rights would seem an area of politics largely untouched by the changes wrought by Eastern Europe's democratic transitions and accession to the European Union (EU). Against the conventional wisdom, this article argues that the broader picture in the region is actually one of increasing rights and better-organised, more influential gay-rights movements and that these developments were catalysed by EU accession. It also argues, however, that the…
Runaway State Building
Why has the rate of expansion of postcommunist state administrations varied so widely among countries that are at comparable stages of economic transition, have similar formal institutions, and have been equally exposed to the dynamics of EU integration? Based on a close comparison of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, the author argues that the critical factor in postcommunist state building is the robustness of party competition. The leg…
Local-Level Democratic Backsliding? The Consolidation of Aspiring Dominant-Party Regimes in Hungary and Poland
Aspiring dominant-party regimes often institute major institutional and political reforms at the national level to ensure they retain control. However, subnational politics is an important, under-studied, component of regime consolidation. This study uses mayoral races in Hungary and Poland from 2006 to 2018 to examine two factors that may inhibit dominant-party regime consolidation in local politics: the use of two-round, i.e. runoff, electoral …
Reforming Regional Governance in East Central Europe
In recent years, a number of East Central European (ECE) governments have undertaken to radically alter the territorial structures of their public administration. Some have suggested that this development represents the growing Europeanization of ECE politics, in particular the role of the European Union. This article questions that view by examining the crucial role of domestic party politics in the enactment and implementation of regional gover…
From Conditionality to Persuasion? Europeanization and the Rights of Sexual Minorities in Post‐Accession Poland
Through an examination of sexual minorities’ rights in Poland, this paper compares the effectiveness of ‘external incentives’ and ‘social learning’ as Europeanization mechanisms after EU enlargement in post‐communist Europe. The politics surrounding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Poland raise questions about the EU’s capacity to foster norms of tolerance and non‐discrimination now that accession has weakene…
Minority rights after EU enlargement
The Benefits of Backlash
How can we explain variation in the organization of LGBT activism in postcommunist Europe, both across countries and over time? Much of the extant scholarship has analyzed the comparative politics of homosexuality in the region in terms of transnational norm diffusion occurring within the context of EU accession and integration. Thus, it emphasizes the empowerment of domestic gay rights groups either through maximizing the leverage of their exter…
And the last shall be first
Does Decentralisation Make Government More Efficient and Effective
In this paper we use a broad cross-national sample to test decentralisation's relationship with two important indicators of the quality of governance: efficiency and effectiveness. Contrary to much of the conventional wisdom, we find that the effects of decentralisation are minimal when controlling for basic structural variables such as per capita GDP and degree of democracy. In addition we find that different types of decentralisation – fiscal, …
Re-stating Party Development in Central and Eastern Europe
I would like to begin by thanking Sean Hanley for his perceptive and stimulating reading of these books. For me, it is still surprising that two books that were conceived, researched, and written independently could speak so directly to each other in so many respects. There are divergences and differences of opinion, naturally, but as Hanley’s review skilfully shows, even the seeming disconnects between accounts may in many cases actually highlig…
What Accounts for Party System Stability? Comparing the Dimensions of Party Competition in Postcommunist Europe
Why do party systems stabilise quickly in some new democracies while others remain in extended flux? As a core variable of comparative politics, party system stability has led scholars to generate various theoretical explanations, but consensus is still lacking. Given its widely divergent party systems, postcommunist Europe presents an important opportunity to revisit stability's determinants. Applying hypotheses derived from theories about compe…
Backsliding versus Backlash
If third-wave democratization propelled gains in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual, asexual, and pansexual (LGBTQIAP) empowerment globally, does the contemporary wave of democratic backsliding imperil those gains? To what extent does the potential threat from such institutional erosion depend on the presence of right-wing populists in government, i.e., backlash? Can both threats be moderated by international pressure? Here, …
The demography of intolerance
We analyse attitudes toward homosexuality in postcommunist- and Western Europe, focusing on two distinctive postcommunist demographic trends: dramatic and rapid declines in fertility, which may spark fears about the "future of the nation" (fertility threat) and persistently elevated mortality rates, which evoke feelings of insecurity and sustain "survival values" that are less tolerant of homosexuality (mortality threat). We probe this theorisati…
Europeanization of attitudes towards homosexuality
How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the role of education in this process? These questions matter because the EU aspires to be not only a regulatory regime but also a community of values. Addressing both the common elision of attitudes and the underappreciation of education in Europeanization research, this article analyses the EU’s impact on attitudes towards homosexuality in third countrie…
Runaway State Building
Why has the rate of expansion of postcommunist state administrations varied so widely among countries that are at comparable stages of economic transition, have similar formal institutions, and have been equally exposed to the dynamics of EU integration? Based on a close comparison of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, the author argues that the critical factor in postcommunist state building is the robustness of party competition. The leg…
Runaway State-Building
Does Decentralisation Make Government More Efficient and Effective
In this paper we use a broad cross-national sample to test decentralisation's relationship with two important indicators of the quality of governance: efficiency and effectiveness. Contrary to much of the conventional wisdom, we find that the effects of decentralisation are minimal when controlling for basic structural variables such as per capita GDP and degree of democracy. In addition we find that different types of decentralisation – fiscal, …
Reforming Regional Governance in East Central Europe
In recent years, a number of East Central European (ECE) governments have undertaken to radically alter the territorial structures of their public administration. Some have suggested that this development represents the growing Europeanization of ECE politics, in particular the role of the European Union. This article questions that view by examining the crucial role of domestic party politics in the enactment and implementation of regional gover…
And the last shall be first
Re-stating Party Development in Central and Eastern Europe
I would like to begin by thanking Sean Hanley for his perceptive and stimulating reading of these books. For me, it is still surprising that two books that were conceived, researched, and written independently could speak so directly to each other in so many respects. There are divergences and differences of opinion, naturally, but as Hanley’s review skilfully shows, even the seeming disconnects between accounts may in many cases actually highlig…
Minority rights after EU enlargement
From Conditionality to Persuasion? Europeanization and the Rights of Sexual Minorities in Post‐Accession Poland
Through an examination of sexual minorities’ rights in Poland, this paper compares the effectiveness of ‘external incentives’ and ‘social learning’ as Europeanization mechanisms after EU enlargement in post‐communist Europe. The politics surrounding the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Poland raise questions about the EU’s capacity to foster norms of tolerance and non‐discrimination now that accession has weakene…
Does the EU help or hinder gay-rights movements in post-communist Europe? The case of Poland
Gay rights would seem an area of politics largely untouched by the changes wrought by Eastern Europe's democratic transitions and accession to the European Union (EU). Against the conventional wisdom, this article argues that the broader picture in the region is actually one of increasing rights and better-organised, more influential gay-rights movements and that these developments were catalysed by EU accession. It also argues, however, that the…
What Accounts for Party System Stability? Comparing the Dimensions of Party Competition in Postcommunist Europe
Why do party systems stabilise quickly in some new democracies while others remain in extended flux? As a core variable of comparative politics, party system stability has led scholars to generate various theoretical explanations, but consensus is still lacking. Given its widely divergent party systems, postcommunist Europe presents an important opportunity to revisit stability's determinants. Applying hypotheses derived from theories about compe…
Europeanization of attitudes towards homosexuality
How does exposure to EU integration affect social attitudes in third countries, and what is the role of education in this process? These questions matter because the EU aspires to be not only a regulatory regime but also a community of values. Addressing both the common elision of attitudes and the underappreciation of education in Europeanization research, this article analyses the EU’s impact on attitudes towards homosexuality in third countrie…
The Benefits of Backlash
How can we explain variation in the organization of LGBT activism in postcommunist Europe, both across countries and over time? Much of the extant scholarship has analyzed the comparative politics of homosexuality in the region in terms of transnational norm diffusion occurring within the context of EU accession and integration. Thus, it emphasizes the empowerment of domestic gay rights groups either through maximizing the leverage of their exter…
Acronyms
Coming Out of Communism
This book offers a close study of the rapidly evolving politics of LGBT rights in postcommunist Europe, where social attitudes have historically marginalized the issue and where the legacy of weak civil society has handicapped activism in general. What happens in societies such as these when increased exposure to transnational institutions such as the European Union and the minority-rights norms that they promote brings new visibility to LGBT iss…
Local-Level Democratic Backsliding? The Consolidation of Aspiring Dominant-Party Regimes in Hungary and Poland
Aspiring dominant-party regimes often institute major institutional and political reforms at the national level to ensure they retain control. However, subnational politics is an important, under-studied, component of regime consolidation. This study uses mayoral races in Hungary and Poland from 2006 to 2018 to examine two factors that may inhibit dominant-party regime consolidation in local politics: the use of two-round, i.e. runoff, electoral …
Backsliding versus Backlash
If third-wave democratization propelled gains in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersexual, asexual, and pansexual (LGBTQIAP) empowerment globally, does the contemporary wave of democratic backsliding imperil those gains? To what extent does the potential threat from such institutional erosion depend on the presence of right-wing populists in government, i.e., backlash? Can both threats be moderated by international pressure? Here, …
The demography of intolerance
We analyse attitudes toward homosexuality in postcommunist- and Western Europe, focusing on two distinctive postcommunist demographic trends: dramatic and rapid declines in fertility, which may spark fears about the "future of the nation" (fertility threat) and persistently elevated mortality rates, which evoke feelings of insecurity and sustain "survival values" that are less tolerant of homosexuality (mortality threat). We probe this theorisati…
When Do Local Governments Discriminate? Lessons from the Diffusion of “LGBT Free Zones” in Poland
Between 2019 and 2020, amidst national-level democratic backsliding under the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, a wave of Polish municipal governments adopted a template of discriminatory policies, creating so-called “LGBT Free Zones” and countering a growing trend of “human rights cities.” What factors might explain this discriminatory diffusion? Drawing on three research traditions regarding diffusion—the social movement literature on d…
Political science (15 works) · Politics (14 works) · Law (13 works) · Law (12 works) · Economics (10 works) · Political economy (10 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Social Policy and Reform Studies (7 works) · European Union Policy and Governance (6 works) · Communism (5 works)