Femke Bakker
Senior assistant professor
- Name
- Dr. F.E. Bakker
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 6188
- f.e.bakker@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0003-2827-9317
Femke E. Bakker is Senior Assistant Professor at the Institute of Political Science.
Femke E. Bakker studies politics and international relations from a political-psychological perspective. Her research interests include the microfoundations of democratic peace theory, political leadership, belief systems, stress-management for crisis decision-makers, and the impact of meditation on political behaviour. She teaches in the fields of political psychology, international relations and research methods.
Currently, Bakker is working on two research projects. Can Lovingkindness Meditation Support Tolerant Political Behavior, supported by the Mind and Life Institute’s PEACE grant, studies the impact of meditation on political behavior. With dr. Niels van Willigen, Bakker investigates if and how the personal beliefs of political leaders can potentially influence (foreign) policy outcomes.
Bakker is also an associate researcher of the Laboratory of Comparative and Social Research (LCSR) and serves as book reviews editor for Acta Politica.
Dr. Bakker studied political science at Leiden University, obtaining her Research Master degree (cum laude) in 2012 and her PhD in 2018. Her PhD thesis, written under supervision of Prof. dr. Petr Kopecký, dr. Niels van Willigen and dr. Michael Meffert tested the microfoundations of democratic peace theory. Her dissertation was awarded with the ECPR Jean Blondel Prize and received an Honorable Mention by the ISPP.
› Curriculum vitae Femke Bakker
PhD supervision
Femke Bakker is available to supervise PhD students and invites PhD research proposals in the areas of:
- Microfoundations of International Relations
- Beliefs and (foreign policy) decision-making
- Democratic Peace Theory
See for more information on PhD positions:
Senior assistant professor
- Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen
- Instituut Politieke Wetenschap
- Bakker F.E. (2024), Hawks and doves: the flawed microfoundations of democratic peace theory. Colchester: ECPR Press.
- Bakker F.E. & Klatt L.C. (2024), The microfoundations of democratic peace theory : experiments in India and France. ISA 2024 3 April 2024 - 6 April 2024.
- Bakker F.E. (2024), Perspective Chapter: Meditation as a Self-care Routine to Prepare for and Cope with Stress. In: Bright L. (Ed.), Burned Out - Exploring the Causes, Consequences, and Solutions of Workplace Stress in Public Service Organizations. Rijeka: InTech Open.
- Bakker F.E. (2022), Let’s agree to disagree: tolerantie als politiek instrument tegen polarisatie. In: Tinnevelt R. & Heuvel F. van den (Eds.), Polarisatie & Perspectief: laveren tussen lastige vraagstukken en lange tenen. no. 1. Utrecht: Eburon. 119-136.
- Bakker F.E. (5 May 2021), De vrijheid om tolerant te zijn. Stuk Rood Vlees. [blog entry].
- Bakker F.E. (13 October 2021), De mens(ch) in de politiek. Stuk Rood Vlees. [blog entry].
- Willigen N.J.G. van & Bakker F.E. (2021), Trauma and belief systems: an operational code analysis of Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the downing of flight MH17, Risk, Hazards and Crisis in Public Policy 12(2): 215-233.
- Bakker F.E. & Willigen N.J.G. van (2021), Policy documents and the beliefs of foreign policy decision-makers: a next step in operational code analysis. In: Schafer M. & Walker S.G. (Eds.), Operational code analysis and foreign policy roles: crossing Simon's Bridge. New York: Routledge. 111-128.
- Bakker F. E. (2020), The microfoundations of normative democratic peace theory. Experiments in the US, Russia and China, Political Research Exchange 2(1): 1753084.
- Bakker F.E. (19 February 2020), Positive politics: how meditation can help to foster tolerance. Insight Timer Blog: Insight Timer. [blog entry].
- Bakker F.E. 13 November 2020, De wetenschap van de havik en de duif in de politiek. Politieke Adem [podcast].
- Bakker F.E. & Overeem P. (2019), Statesmanship Beyond the Modern State, Perspectives on Political Science 48(1): 46-55.
- Bakker F.E., Van Willigen N. & Warmerdam D. (2019), The effect of role change on the operational codes of US presidents: from George H.W. Bush to Donald J. Trump. ISA 2019, Toronto. ISA 2019 27 March 2019 - 30 March 2019.
- Bakker F.E. (2019), Bringing Kant Back in. A conceptualization and measurement of liberal norms for democratic peace studies. Politicologenetmaal 2019, Antwerp. Politicologenetmaal 2019 13 June 2019 - 14 June 2019.
- Van Willigen N. & Bakker F. (2019), Trauma and foreign policy change; an operational code analysis of Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the downing of flight MH17. Politicologenetmaal,, Antwerp. Politicologenetmaal 13 June 2019 - 14 June 2019.
- Van Willigen N. & Bakker F. (2019), Trauma and foreign policy change; an operational code analysis of Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the downing of flight MH17. 6th European Workshops in International Studies 2019, Krakow. 6th European Workshops in International Studies 2019 26 June 2019 - 29 June 2019.
- Bakker F.E. (15 May 2018), Hawks and doves. Democratic peace theory revisited (Dissertatie. Political Science, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University). Supervisor(s) and Co-supervisor(s): Kopecký P., Willigen N. van & Meffert M.
- Bakker F.E. (2018), Measuring hawkish beliefs about conflict resolution. Politicologenetmaal 7 June 2018 - 8 June 2018. Leiden.
- Bakker F.E. (Ed.) (2018), Book reviews editor Acta Politica. Acta Politica.
- Bakker F.E. (2017), Do liberal norms matter? A cross-regime experimental investigation of the normative explanation of the democratic peace thesis in China and The Netherlands, Acta Politica 52(4): 521-543.
- Bakker F.E. (Ed.) (2017), Book reviews editor Acta Politica: Palgrave MacMillan/Springer.
- Bakker F.E. (2017), Hawks & Doves. Democratic Peace Theory Revisited. An experimental cross regime investigation. Politicologenetmaal 2017 (01/06/2017-02/06/2017, Leiden). Politicologenetmaal 2017 1 June 2017 - 2 June 2017.
- Bakker F.E. (2017), Hawks, Democracy and Peace? An experimental cross regime investigation. Annual Meeting ISPP (29/06/2017-02/07/2017, Edinburgh). Bakker F.E. (Ed.). Annual Meeting ISPP 29 June 2017 - 2 July 2017.
- Bakker F.E. & Rotondi V. (2016), Vote for Your Family! Particularism, Support for Democracy and Support for Shari’a in the Arab World, Review of Middle East Economics and Finance 12(2): 115-137.
- Bakker F.E. & Rotondi V. (2016), Democratic Peace and the Norms of the Public Revisited. World Association Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) regional conference “Political Trust in Contemporary Representative Democracies" 24 November 2015 - 25 November 2015. Barcelona: World Association Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) regional conference “Political Trust in Contemporary Representative Democracies".
- Bakker F.E. & Rotondi V. (2015), A particular view of democracy. A study into the influence of particularism on the support for democracy and support for Shari’a in the Arab world. CONSIRT working papers no. 10. CONSIRT. [working paper].
- Avtalyon-Bakker F. (2015) Review of 'The politics and ethics of identity, in search of ourselves'. Review of: Lebow R.N. (2014), The politics and ethics of identity, in search of ourselves. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. St Anthony International Review 10(2): 223-225.
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (2014), Do liberal norms exist, and where do they exist? A cross-regime exploration of liberal norms. Politicologenetmaal 2014 12 June 2014 - 13 June 2014.
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (2014), Liberal norms and support for the use of violence in comparative cross-regime perspective: evaluating the presence and influence of liberal norms. Conference paper 4th International Annual Research Conference: “Cultural and Economic changes under cross-national perspective” of the Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR), St. Petersburg . 4th International Annual Research Conference: “Cultural and Economic changes under cross-national perspective” of the Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) 10 November 2014 - 15 November 2014.
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (5 April 2014), Politicologen, durf meer te experimenteren!. Stuk Rood Vlees. Amsterdam: Wordpress. [blog entry].
- Avtalyon F.E. (7 January 2014), Democratieën vechten niet met elkaar? Nog steeds géén ijzeren wet!. Stukroodvlees.nl. Amsterdam: Wordpress. [blog entry].
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (20 December 2014), Mijn Ruslandervaring: ‘rockstars’, student-assistenten en data. Blog Stuk Rood Vlees. Stuk Rood Vlees. Amsterdam: Mantra & Wordpress. [blog entry].
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (31 January 2014), Voorbij de dichotomie van ‘democratie’ en ‘niet-democratie’. Stuk Rood Vlees. Amsterdam: Wordpress. [blog entry].
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (2014) Review of Deconstructing the ‘Democratic Peace. How a Research Agenda Boomeranged, by Michael Haas. Review of: Haas M. (2014), Deconstructing the ‘Democratic Peace. How a Research Agenda Boomeranged. Los Angeles: Publishing House for Scholars. Australian Journal of International Affairs .
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (6 November 2014), Ik voel, dus ik ben? Emoties in internationale betrekkingen. Stuk Rood Vlees. Amsterdam: Wordpress. [blog entry].
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E., Van Willigen N.J.G. & De Bièvre D. (2013), Research note: Democratic peace explanations and the need for a new research agenda. Politicologenetmaal 2013. Politicologenetmaal 2013. Gent.
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (2013), Counting heads? Ethnic voting in Europe. Council of Europeanists (CES) 2013. Amsterdam.
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (2013), Democracies, autocracies, liberal norms and the use of force. An experimental approach to the democratic peace thesis. [other].
- Avtalyon-Bakker F.E. (2013), Rawls and regime change. A study into the internal justification of the 2003 US intervention in Iraq, Res Publica 55(2): 209-231.
- Eigenaar/Consultant