Cohort: POLS 37° 

Title of the thesis: Political Belief Systems as Networks of Attitudes

Abstract: This dissertation investigates political belief systems by conceptualizing them as networks of interrelated attitudes rather than reflections of underlying latent ideologies. Bridging political science, sociology, and psychology, the thesis introduces a network-based framework to study how political opinions cohere, evolve, and influence behaviours. Methodologically, it integrates Belief Network Analysis, Correlational Class Analysis, and psychometric network models to examine the internal structure and external determinants of belief systems. The empirical chapters explore three domains: attitudes toward inequality, belief system connectedness and consensus in Italy, and voting preferences across 28 European countries between 1989 and 2019. By treating beliefs as dynamically interconnected rather than hierarchically ordered, this research offers a new lens on ideological polarization and the cognitive architecture of public opinion.

Research interests: Political attitudes; Belief Systems; Political Science; Sociology; Psychology; Computational Social Science

Graduated from: University of Turin (BA and MA); University of Milan and Pavia (Ph.D.)

Degrees obtained: BA in Political Science; MA in Public and Political Communication; Ph.D.

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Personal website: https://arturobertero.github.io/