(1) Religion and democratic norms in a cross-cultural perspective. The extant literature is divided over whether religion is a threat to or a fortifier of democratic norms: it promotes undemocratic attitudes according to some, and civic skills according to others. My research agenda offers a way of reconciling these conflicting findings by identifying different dimensions of religiosity, which generate contrasting effects on democratic attitudes through different psychological mechanisms.

(2) Morality and Values. Like religion, moral convictions and societal values are major sources from which individuals systematically derive political attitudes. I thus examine in a comparative setting how morality and values translate into, underlie, and motivate political norms and attitudes.

(3) Threat to Political Prestige. I study how democratic pressures in the form of threat to reputation or moral image affect the behavior of decision-makers, public administration organizations, and democratic outputs.