Profile

Dr. Żerkowska-Balas, is a sociologist and political scientist. She is an experienced researcher in both quantitative and qualitative methods. Her research interests mainly focus on electoral behavior, the relationship between political parties and voters (e.g., party identification and political branding), democracy, and democratic backsliding.

Dr. Żerkowska-Balas participated in numerous research projects carried out at SWPS University, including her own grant, provided by the National Research Center (NCN) for research on Political Branding, which introduced a new approach to the party-voter relationship. She also collaborated with various academic organizations, non-governmental organizations, businesses, think tanks, and media platforms, including the European Commission, Batory Foundation, Center for Citizenship Education (CEO), and The National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute (FINA).

Currently, Dr. Żerkowska-Balas is a researcher in the Polish National Election Study (funded by NCN) and Authlib: Neo-Authoritarianisms in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response, a Horizon 2020 project.

She authored multiple publications, including journal articles, book chapters, and reports. Additionally, she frequently provides commentary on current political events in prominent media outlets.

At SWPS University, Dr. Żerkowska-Balas teaches classes on power and leadership, challenges and values in the modern world, and provides support to students on the implementation of social projects.