VALPOP project
Valuing Public Goods in a Populist World
A Comparative Analysis of Network Dynamics and Societal Outcomes
The VALPOP project investigates how the distribution of public goods is influenced by societal networks and their degree of populism. The aim is to raise awareness of their influence, increase the transparency of public goods governance and usage, and strengthen the control mechanisms.
News
Workshop on Large Language Models and AI tools to analyse political elite networks
ECPR Joint Session Workshop. Deadline Call for Papers: 10.12.2025
Panel session on public goods in the face of corruption, populism and societal networks
7 November 2025 at the Auckland University of Technology. With participation by Julie Haggie, CEO of Transparency International NZ, Dr Peter Zamborsky from University of Auckland, Dr Michael Wolfesberger from WU Vienna and Matt Raskovic from Auckland University of Technology.
Geopolitics, populism and public goods: insights from the VALPOP project
Insights from the Paper Development Workshop on 23 September 2025, arranged by Institute for International Business at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU)
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Societal networks, populism & public goods
Societal networks are structures of social actors such as politicians, media, businesses and non-governmental organisations that lead to certain behavioural patterns, influences, and dynamics which affect the distribution of public goods.
In particular, VALPOP looks at the degree of populism within these networks and the establishment of an ingroup (us) and outgroup (them) rhetoric which interferes with the creation and distribution of public goods, which should be equally available to everybody.
The public goods explored by VALPOP relate to biodiversity, public infrastructure, education, free press & access to information.
