Emma Ricknell

Senior lecturer, head of department

Department of Political Science Faculty of Social Sciences

emma.ricknell@lnu.se

+46 470-70 84 29

+46 72-594 13 56

My dissertation, which I defended in 2021, focuses on the death penalty in the U.S., with emphasis on legislative developments over time at state level. I also do research on media, online communities, as well as social media and disinformation.

I am part of the research environment Linnaeus University Research Group on Political Behavior, Opinion and Parties (LNU-POP).

During 2023-2024 I held a postdoc position within the knowledge environment A Questioned Democracy (En ifrågasatt demokrati)

I have a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Gothenburg and master's degree in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, UK. I also have a degree in Journalism from the University of Gothenburg, as well as a degree in Peace- and Conflict Studies from my alma mater, Umeå University.

Before embarking on my PhD studies, I worked as a paralegal at the Habeas Corpus Resource Center in San Francisco, serving indigent men and women under sentence of death in California.

I regularly comment on American politics in Swedish media.

Awards

Selected for the 2019 inaugural class of Tom Carsey Scholars by the APSA State Politics and Policy Conference held at the University of Maryland.
Winner of best paper award in Swedish political science journal Statsvetenskaplig tidskrift 2019
Named Teacher of the Year by the Linnaeus University student union 2021

Teaching

I have for example taught on the following courses:

Politiska idéer (Statsvetenskap I)
Svensk och jämförande politik (Statsvetenskap I)
Internationell politik (Statsvetenskap I)
Political Analysis (Statsvetenskap III)
International Human Rights Law
Human Rights in Historical, Philosophical and Theoretical Perspective
European Human Rights Law
The Law of Sustainable Development
Sustainability and Multilevel Governance
International Law
Oral Presentation Skills

My research groups

My ongoing research projects

Publications

Article in journal (Refereed)

Martinsson, J., Ricknell, E. (2025). From Laughter to Learning : Teaching Methods through Engaging Narrative Workshops. Journal of Political Science Education. 21 (2). 327-339.
Status: Published
Ricknell, E. (2023). Dynamic rare decisions: gubernatorial vetoes and the death penalty, 1999–2018. Journal of Legislative Studies. 29 (1). 189-211.
Status: Published
Ricknell, E. (2022). Of Foreign or Domestic Origin? : Swedish media reporting on election interference in connection with the 2022 Swedish general election. Journal of the Scandinavian Society of Korea. (30). 41-74.
Status: Published
Ricknell, E. (2020). Freedom of expression and alternatives for Internet governance : prospects and pitfalls. Media and Communication. 8 (4). 110-120.
Status: Published
Ricknell, E. (2019). “Is Sweden Finally Waking Up?” : Debating the 2018 Swedish National Election on 4chan. Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift. 121 (3). 441-463.
Status: Published

Conference paper (Refereed)

Ezz El Din, M., Ricknell, E., Önnerfors, A. (2025). Countering the LVU Disinformation Campaign: Strategies and Responses from Swedish Media and Authorities. .
Ezz El Din, M., Ricknell, E., Önnerfors, A. (2025). Between Resilience and Emotional Mobilization : A Case Study of the Swedish LVU Disinformation Camp. .
Ezz El Din, M., Ricknell, E., Önnerfors, A. (2024). Twitter Campaign Against the Swedish Social Services : Between Disinformation and Dystopia. Presented at the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Conference, Las Vegas, USA, April 13-16, 2024.
Ezz El Din, M., Önnerfors, A., Ricknell, E. (2023). Twitter campaign against the Swedish social services : Between activism and emotional mobilization. Book of abstracts: Media and Emotional Mobilization.
Ricknell, E. (2019). Transatlantic Ties in Turbulence : the Trump Presidency Test. The Swedish Network for European Studies Spring Conference 2019.
Ricknell, E. (2019). Determinants of gubernatorial vetoes in the context of death penalty legislation. The 51st Annual Northeastern Political Science Association Conference.
Ricknell, E. (2019). Women State Legislators and the Death Penalty in the U.S.. The American Political Science Association State Politics and Policy Conference.
Fransson, S., Ricknell, E. (2017). Unlimited opportunities to resit examinations in higher education : patterns of use and underlying factors. .

Chapter in book (Refereed)

Ricknell, E. (2026). Public Access to Information. South Africa and Agenda 2030 : Critical Perspectives on Delivering Sustainable Democracy and Development. Bingley, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 43-56.
Ricknell, E. (2025). Capital Punishment in the Midwest : Liberal Struggles, Race, and Legacy. The Liberal Heartland : A Political History of the Postwar American Midwest. Lawrence, University Press of Kansas. 285-297.
Ricknell, E. (2024). The Media Society : Living up to Democratic Ideals in an Evolving Media Landscape. Problems in Paradise? : Changes and Challenges to Swedish Democracy. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 129-143.
Ricknell, E. (2024). Where the fringe and mainstream meet : Discussions on vaccine hesitancy among public radio listeners on Facebook. Vaccine Hesitancy in the Nordic Countries : Trust and Distrust During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Routledge. 140-154.
Ricknell, E. (2022). Sport society : The role of sport and identity in democratic society. South Africa's democracy at the crossroads. Bingley, UK, Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 157-171.
Ricknell, E. (2021). Same Procedure as Last Year? Patterns of Death Penalty Bill Introductions in the Era of Abolition 1999–2018. Studies in Law, Politics, and Society. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 1-26.

Article in journal (Other academic)

Ricknell, E. (2021). Smittan som spred sig snabbare än coronaviruset : Falsk och vilseledande information under coronakrisen 2020. Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift. 123 (5). 475-490.
Status: Published
Ricknell, E. (2020). Spel framför substans : Journalistisk gestaltning i amerikanska och svenska medier under demokraternas primärval 2020. Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift. 122 (5). 109-126.
Status: Published

Conference paper (Other academic)

Ricknell, E. (2024). "Swedes are so dumb and naïve. It’s just as bad here!" – How American claims of election fraud can travel across the Atlantic. CONNOR - The Nordic Network of Conspiracy Theory Research Inaugural Conference, Lund University, May 23-24, 2024. Book of abstracts.
Ezz El Din, M., Ricknell, E., Önnerfors, A. (2023). LVU, koranbränningar och påverkan : hur kan medierna hanteradesinformation om Sverige?. #SweFactCheck 2023 ”Sverigebilden: från underbarn till undergång." 15-17 November 2023, Kalmar, Sverige.
Ricknell, E. (2014). Partisanship and Stability in Capital Punishment Decisions. .

Chapter in book (Other academic)

Ricknell, E., Kennegård, A. (2024). Ekonomijournalistik i kristider : Demokratiska förväntningar och utmaningar. En ifrågasatt demokrati : Forskare och praktiker i dialog. Göteborg, Makadam Förlag. 57-85.

Report (Other academic)

Önnerfors, A., Ricknell, E., Ezz El Din, M. (2026). Mediernas och myndigheternas motståndskraft : En kvalitativ intervjustudie om LVU-kampanjen. Kalmar, Linnaeus University Press.

Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)

Ricknell, E. (2021). Death Penalty in Decline : Brakes and Accelerators in U.S. State Legislatures. Doctoral Thesis. Växjö, Linnaeus University Press. 60.

Chapter in book (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))

Ricknell, E. (2019). Det parallella livet online : Om nätgemenskap och destruktivitet i det dunkla. Medierna och det offentliga samtalet. Kalmar, Centrum för demokrati, journalistik och medier. 13-19.