Michael Ganslmeier
Assistant Professor in Data Science · University College London
About
I'm an Assistant Professor in Data Science at University College London. Originally from a small village outside Munich, I've lived in London for over a decade. My work focuses on two broad questions: how policies affect people's lives, and how much we can trust the empirical findings used to answer that question.
In practice, that means using data and statistics to study public policy, political behaviour, health, climate, and the credibility of scientific evidence. Outside academia, I also work with governments, international organisations, and companies on applied data and evaluation problems.
Positions
- Assistant Professor in Data Science, UCL (2026–)
- Data Scientist & Consultant, World Bank (2023–)
- Assistant Professor, University of Exeter (2024–25)
- Postdoctoral Fellow, LSE (2022–24)
Education
- DPhil, University of Oxford
- MSc, London School of Economics
- Visiting, Columbia University
- BA, Zeppelin University
Affiliated with
Research
My research focuses on two broad areas. First, I study whether policies and decisions actually make a difference, for example in voting behaviour, public health, climate policy, and social outcomes. Second, I study how credible these findings are, and how much published results depend on the analytical choices researchers make. In plain English: I study whether policies work, how people respond to them, and whether the evidence behind those claims is reliable.
I've published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Comparative Political Studies, Political Science Research and Methods, and with Cambridge University Press, among others.
Publications
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When Habit Prevails: A Causal Test of Policy Feedback Theory Using a Pension Reform
Does receiving a government benefit make you more likely to vote? A natural experiment using pension policy.
Authors: Michael Ganslmeier, Margaryta Klymak, Tim Vlandas · Conditionally Accepted -
Estimating the Extent and Sources of Model Uncertainty in Political Science
Why most political science findings change depending on how you measure them, and a systematic way to quantify this empirical uncertainty.
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On the Limits of Justified Model Spaces
Making disagreement visible: why narrowing model space cannot resolve fragility in empirical research.
Authors: Michael Ganslmeier, Tim Vlandas · Paper -
From Pledge to Poll: The Impact of Campaign Promises on Party Alignment
Do parties actually win voters when they make targeted campaign promises? A causal test using a German election.
Authors: Michael Ganslmeier · Paper · Replication -
Are Climate Change Policies Politically Costly?
Governments fear that climate policies cost votes. The evidence says otherwise, if designed right.
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Compliance with the First UK COVID-19 Lockdown
Who followed the rules and who didn't, and how weather shaped compliance during the first UK lockdown.
Authors: Michael Ganslmeier, Jonathan Van Parys, Tim Vlandas · Paper -
The Impact of Weather on the COVID-19 Pandemic
Temperature, humidity, and seasonality as key drivers of COVID-19 transmission across countries.
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Ageing and the Economy: A Literature Review of Political and Policy Mechanisms
How population ageing reshapes electoral politics and fiscal policy, a systematic review of the evidence.
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On the Complementarity between Labour Market Regulation and Tax Reforms in the EU
Why labour and tax reforms work better together, evidence from European structural adjustment programmes.
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Structural Reforms in Europe: Lessons from Early Experiences
What Europe's first wave of structural reforms actually achieved, and what it didn't. Lessons for future reform design.
Authors: Orkun Saka, Angelo Martelli, Michael Ganslmeier, Yuemei Ji, Nauro F. Campos, Paul De Grauwe · Chapter
Work in Progress
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Empirical Identification of Feasible and Strategic Climate Policies
Which climate policies are politically and institutionally viable? A data-driven map.
Authors: Penny Mealy, Michael Ganslmeier, Stephane Hallegatte · Funded by World Bank -
The Economic Costs of Temperature Volatility
Volatile temperatures, not just rising averages, are damaging economic output. Estimates from US firms.
Authors: Luca Bettarelli, Davide Furceri, Michael Ganslmeier, Marc Schiffbauer · Funded by World Bank / IMF -
Firm-Level Climate Change Adaptation: Micro Evidence from 134 Nations
How are firms actually adapting to climate change on the ground? Survey evidence from 134 countries.
Authors: Claudia Berg, Luca Bettarelli, Davide Furceri, Michael Ganslmeier, Arti Grover, Megan Lang, Marc Schiffbauer -
Political Integration and Trust in Foreigners
Does deeper political integration between nations reduce distrust of outsiders? Evidence from European integration.
Authors: Barry Eichengreen, Michael Ganslmeier, Orkun Saka
Writing
I write about research and evidence for non-academic audiences. Most of it covers what the data actually shows on things people care about: climate policy, voting behaviour, inequality, and what statistics can and can't tell us. Some pieces are tied to specific papers. If you're a journalist or editor, feel free to get in touch.
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Campaign promises as political coupons: Future benefits sway, but don't retain, voters
Why voters respond to promised benefits but forget about them quickly.
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Taking Stock of Welfare State Determinants: A New Approach to Assessing Robustness
A non-technical introduction to model uncertainty analysis and why it matters for comparative research.
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The Short Life of a Campaign Promise: When Voters Trade Loyalty for Benefits
Why the effect of campaign promises does not last long
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Mütterrente: Wenn Rentenversprechen Wahlen entscheiden
Wie Rentenversprechen Wahlverhalten beeinflussen, eine kausale Untersuchung aus Deutschland.
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Social Distancing Measures: Warmer Temperatures Have a Substantial Effect on Non-Compliance Among Certain Groups
On the behavioural politics of pandemic compliance, and what weather has to do with it.
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Who Complies with Lockdown Measures in the UK?
A data-driven breakdown of which groups followed the rules, and why it matters for policy design.
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Design of Climate Change Policies Needs to Internalise Political Realities
Why technically optimal climate policies often fail politically, and what that means for how we design them.
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No More What Without the Why
On the limits of predictive modelling and the case for putting causal thinking at the centre of data science.
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Labour Market Regulation and Tax Reform Complement Each Other
Why structural reforms in Europe work better in combination, evidence from EU policy data.
Software
Some of my research has produced open-source tools that make advanced statistical methods easier to use. The packages below grew out of specific projects and are freely available.
sensiverse
An R package for sensitivity and model uncertainty analysis in the social sciences. Explore large model spaces, quantify robustness, and visualize uncertainty.
PNAS Paper · GitHub · Tutorial
Global Weather Map
An interactive climate data platform built for the World Bank. Maps temperature, precipitation, and extreme event trends using ERA5 weather data.
Teaching
I've taught at UCL, LSE, Exeter, and Oxford, at undergraduate, master, and doctoral level. My courses cover data science, causal methods, statistical analysis, research design, and data visualisation. I try to teach in a way that builds genuine understanding rather than mechanical skill: what does this method actually assume, how can we use it to solve and understand a pressing real-world problem, and how do you know if the results are credible?
Data Visualization
University College London
Causal Methods for Policy Evaluation
University of Exeter
Data Analysis in Social Science II
University of Exeter
Introduction to Programming
University of Exeter
Causal Inference for Observational Studies
London School of Economics
Research Design for Policy Evaluation
London School of Economics
Applied Regression Analysis
London School of Economics
Consulting
I help organisations use data to evaluate policies, understand behaviour, and make better decisions. My consulting work includes applied statistical analysis, policy evaluation, machine learning, and training on AI and data literacy.
Policy & Decision Evaluation
Measuring whether policies, programmes, and organisations' decisions actually work in practice, and what difference they make in the real world.
Statistical Analysis & Machine Learning
Turning complex real-world data into clear analysis for decision-making, using statistical models and machine learning where they add real value.
AI & Data Training
Tailored training on statistical thinking, the benefits and limits of AI, and how to evaluate data-driven work critically and confidently.
Public Opinion
Understanding what drives public support, trust, and political behaviour, from voting patterns to broader responses to policy and institutions.
Climate & Environment
Analysis of climate and environmental policies, adaptation strategies, and their economic and political consequences over time.
Health
Analysis of health outcomes, including the effects of welfare cuts, environmental exposures, and public health interventions on populations.
Past and current engagements
Get in touch
Send a brief description of your project and I'd be happy to hear from you.
Contact
If you would like to discuss research collaboration, consulting, or public speaking, feel free to get in touch. I work with universities, international organisations, governments, NGOs, and companies on questions where evidence, policy, and data meet.
michael.ganslmeier@ucl.ac.uk
Twitter / X
@GanslmeierM
Google Scholar
Publication record & citations
michael-ganslmeier
GitHub
MGanslmeier
Office
UCL, Foster Court
London WC1E 6BT