Aktuelles
Archiv: Aktuelles/News und Publikationen/Publications
In a new article published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, Philipp Mai and Georg Wenzelburger show that Members of Parliament (MPs) who did not hold party offices at the local or regional level prior to their first election into parliament have a significantly higher probability to vote against the party line. In addition, this no-‘Ochsentour’ effect is largest for newly elected MPs and vanishes the longer MPs stay in parliament. Read more here
Together with Fabian Engler, Reimut Zohlnhöfer has edited a book on the fourth and final term of Angela Merkel as German chancellor. Experts mostly from political science take stock of the politics and policies of the years between 2018 and 2021, from coalition management to electoral competition and from environmental policy to health and law and order. If you want to take a look, you’ll find the online version here. As to a condensed English version? We’re working on something!
In a recent chapter, Reimut Zohlnhöfer, Nicole Herweg and Nikolaos Zahariadis discuss how the Multiple Streams Framework should be applied in case studies and large-N studies. Hopefully, they provide some helpful methodological advice for future studies applying the framework. Check out the book on “Methods of the Policy Process” here.
In a conceptual paper that just came out in PVS/German Political Science Quarterly, Nicole Herweg, Nikos Zahariadis and Reimut Zohlnhöfer discuss if and how the Multiple Streams Framework can be applied to non-democratic political systems. The main conclusion is that the MSF should be applicable to explain agenda setting and policy-making in autocracies. How? Check out the paper here – open access.
In a new article that has recently been published in the British Journal of Industrial Relations, Linda Degen and Fabian Engler study the effect of labour unions on welfare state policy-making. At the micro-level, they show that union members favour generous social policies more strongly than non-members and that this effect is the strongest for programmes that are closely related to the labour market. At the macro-level, they find that unions have a conditional effect on left parties, pushing them towards more generous labour market-related (but not towards less-labour market-related) policies. Read more here
A new paper by Reimut Zohlnhöfer and Linda Voigt just came out in the European Political Science Review. We show that after the golden age, the level of unemployment conditions partisan differences. Christian democrats liberalise EPL for regular employment significantly less than other parties under high levels of unemployment. In contrast, Social democrats defend high levels of EPL for regular and temporary employment when unemployment is low. Against expectations, they even liberalise employment protection for labor market insiders more than other parties at very high levels of unemployment. For more information, see here
We have updated the Partisan Composition of Governments Database (PACOGOV) for the year 2020. It now covers 24 advanced democracies for the 1945-2020 time period. You’ll find it here.
In a paper that just came out in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Linda Voigt and Reimut Zohlnhöfer explore if electoral competition conditions partisan politics in employment protection legislation. They look at various ways electoral competition could affect the partisan politics of welfare regulation, but find that party competition does not seem to be a major factor. Find out more here.
Judith Raisch and Reimut Zohlnhöfer explore this question in a paper that just came out in the Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen. They have analyzed 78,000 Twitter tweets of 89 Members of the German Bundestag from all seven parties represented in parliament. They find that MPs of all parties paid more attention to climate issues after the school strikes began. Moreover, and in line with the expectations of the issue ownership literature, MPs for the Greens and the Left Party referred more often to the FFF movement in their tweets than members of the AfD, FDP, CDU, and CSU. Similarly, Green and Left MPs’ tweets about the FFF movement were more positive, encouraged followers to support the movement more often, and shared the FFF movement’s criticism of the government’s climate policy more frequently than members of the latter parties. The tweets of SPD MPs resembled those of Green and Left MPs.
The Partisan Composition of Governments Database (PACOGOV) is now available on my website. You’ll find it here.
This dataset, originally started by Prof. Manfred Schmidt and now updated by Caroline Trocka and Reimut Zohlnhöfer, provides data on the partisan composition of governments in 24 advanced democracies for the 1945-2019 time period. The dataset distinguishes between eleven party families (plus independents) and is thus more fine-grained than other available sources.
Keonhi Son and Reimut Zohlnhöfer’s article: “Measuring Privatization: Comparing Five Indicators of the Disposition of State-Owned Enterprises in Advanced Democracies”, published in Volume 21:4 of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, was chosen to receive the Annual JCPA Best Article Award for 2020.
Together with Peter Kirsch (psychology) and Hanno Kube (law), Reimut Zohlnhöfer has fielded a representative survey of the German population on what people think about the Corona restrictions, whether they complied and whether they have installed the Corona warning app or if they would eventually be willing to get vaccinated. For a summary of the first results, click here. You’ll find a slightly more extensive German version here.
The question of whether political parties make a systematic difference in terms of public policies is one of the classics of comparative public policy research. While several recent studies have called for an “electoral turn” in partisan theory and suggest establishing a party–voter link on the micro level, Georg Wenzelburger and Reimut Zohlnhöfer, in a paper that just came out in Party Politics, propose a different view on partisan effects. While we do not argue that public opinion is unimportant for parties, we maintain that political actors both at the party member and the elite level do have preferences of their own which may be instrumental for the policies parties pursue. Read more here
In a new paper that just came out in European Policy Analysis Carsten Jensen (Aarhus) and Reimut Zohlnhöfer investigate citizens’ knowledge about the welfare state in Denmark and Germany in comparative perspective. Employing a survey on political science students – a population that is particularly likely to be interested in and knowledgeable about politics – we find a mixed picture in the sense that policy knowledge in a few specific issues is high, but typically, when the issue has been salient in the public. Overall, policy knowledge is low
Marsilius Fellowship for Reimut Zohlnhöfer
Reimut Zohlnhöfer was awarded a Marsilius Fellowship for 2020/21. He will work on an interdisciplinary project about societal compliance in times of polarization with Prof. Peter Kirsch (psychology) and Prof. Hanno Kube (Law).
Pierson’s „Dismantling the Welfare State?“ After 25 Years
Dismantling the Welfare State?, published 25 years ago, is a modern classic in the welfare state literature. Is there still something we can learn from Paul Pierson’s seminal book? Carsten Jensen, Georg Wenzelburger and Reimut Zohlnhöfer, in a new paper that just came out in the Journal of European Social Policy, suggest that the book indeed is worth a re-read. Check out more here.
Fabian Engler has completed his dissertation project, titled ‘Political Parties and Public Policies between Ideology and Voter Preferences’, and has been awarded Dr. rer. pol. by the University of Bremen.
Research project on „The Transformation of Economic Intervention in Advanced Democracies” funded by German Research Foundation
The German Research Foundation (DFG) will fund Reimut Zohlnhöfer’s research project on „The Transformation of Economic Intervention in Advanced Democracies” for the next three years. For more information, click here
Best Teaching Award 2019
Reimut Zohlnhöfer was awarded the Best Teaching Award 2019 at the Institute of Political Science - again!
EJPR Forum Section on Multiple Streams Framework
Issue 3/2015 of the European Journal of Political Research includes a forum section on the Multiple Streams Framework, edited by Reimut Zohlnhöfer and Friedbert Rüb. You find more information here.
New Article in JEPP
A new paper by Fabian Engler and Reimut Zohlnhöfer that has just been publishd in the Journal of European Public Policy investigates the effects of the recent changes in left parties’ voter base, from predominantly working-class to middle-class voters. According to classic partisan theory these changes should have resulted in changing policy positions and policy effects of left parties. We test this expectation for economic policies (i.e. subsidies, product market regulation, and privatization) in 16 European countries between 1980 and 2012. We find the expected relationships for subsidies but not for regulation and privatization. This can be explained by the fact that only with regard to subsidies, preferences substantially differ between the working- and the middle-class. Thus, economic policy preferences of voters of left parties diverge less than could be expected. Methodologically, the study suggests that empirically testing the complete causal mechanism of classic partisan theory, assessing voters’ preferences and investigating more than one issue area, are promising ways to study partisan effects on public policies. Find the article here.
Special Issue on the third Merkel government published.
A special issue on the politics and policies or the third government under Angela Merkel (2013-2017), edited by Reimut Zohlnhöfer and Thomas Saalfeld, has just come out. Check it out here.
Edited volume on the third Merkel Government
Together with Prof. Thomas Saalfeld (Bamberg University), Reimut Zohlnhöfer has edited a volume that takes stock of the policies and politics of the most recent German government, the Grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel (2013-2017). The 27 German language chapters analyze all relevant policies from migration to fiscal policy and from the welfare state to European integration. Moreover, in other chapters, party strategies, electoral competition, interest groups, the Federal Constitutional Court, political leadership and coalition governance are investigated. The book is already published electronically with SpingerLink and will be available as a hard copy very soon. Moreover, for English language readers, some of the chapters will be included in a special issue of the journal German Politics. Some of these papers are also already available at the journal’s homepage.
New Paper in Political Behavior
A new paper on “Policy and Blame Attribution: Citizens' Preferences, Policy Reputations, and Policy Surprises”, written by Raanan Sulitzeanu-Kenan (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) and Reimut Zohlnhöfer, has just been published in Political Behavior. Check out details here.
New Article in Socio-Economic Review
A paper written by Carina Schmitt (Bremen University) and Reimut Zohlnhöfer has just been publish by Socio-Economic Review which looks at partisan differences in four fields of government intervention in the economy, namely social spending, subsidies, product market regulation (PMR) and business taxation. We find that partisan differences only really make themselves felt after about one term in office. Moreover, with the exception of PMR, partisan differences tend to become more pronounced as globalization increases while European integration does not condition partisan effects. The conditioning effect of domestic economic problems on partisan differences depends on a policy instrument’s salience. In highly salient issue areas (social expenditure, corporate taxation), we only find partisan differences when problems are low; in contrast, economic problems emphasize partisan differences in non-salient issue areas (PMR, subsidies). You find the paper here
Section on Policy Process Theories at ECPR General Conference in Hamburg 2018
Together with Daniel Nohrstedt (Uppsala) and Vilém Novotny (Prague), Reimut Zohlnhöfer has proposed a section for the next ECPR General Conference in Hamburg. The section on “Advancing Frontiers in Policy Process Research: Integrating Theory and Empirical Inquiry” has recently been accepted and paper and panel proposals are highly welcome. Find more information here
Theories of the Policy Process (4th edition)
The fourth edition of the state-of-the-art volume on “Theories of the Policy Process”, edited by Christopher M. Weible and Paul A. Sabatier, has just come out with Westview Press. It includes a chapter on the Multiple Streams Framework that has been completely re-written compared with earlier editions and summarizes all the exciting new developments in MSF scholarship that have recently been put forward. The chapter is written by Nicole Herweg and Reimut Zohlnhöfer together with Nikolaos Zahariadis (Rhodes College, Memphis, TN).
New Book on European Union Policy-Making
Palgrave Macmillan has just published Nicole Herweg's book on the regulatory shift in EU natural gas market policy. The book offers a theoretical advancement of the multiple streams framework by adapting it to European Union agenda-setting and decision-making and by deriving a set of explicit hypotheses. It analyses the timing, agenda prominence, and policy change (or a lack thereof) for the EU natural gas directives passed in 1998, 2003, and 2009. For more information, click here
Literature Review on the Interventionist State in the British Journal of Political Science
Why have advanced democracies experienced a retreat of the interventionist state since 1980? An article written by Reimut Zohlnhöfer, Fabian Engler and Kathrin Dümig which has just been published in the British Journal of Political Science provides evidence that in all relevant policy indicators (spending, subsidies, state-owned enterprises, regulation, capital taxation) government intervention has been scaled back across the OECD. An overview of the results of 130 quantitative studies analyzing at least one of these indicators is provided. Focusing on five main explanatory variables – globalization, Europeanization, learning and emulation, socio-economic problems, and political parties – only limited agreement in the literature is found. The reasons for this disagreement are discussed. Ways forward are suggested for the theoretical models on which studies are based, how the dependent variable is chosen, the empirical approaches that may be applied, and how quantitative research and comparative case studies may be combined. Find the FirstView version of the article here
New Article on Political Parties and MPs‘ Morality Policy Voting Behaviour
Fabian Engler and Kathrin Dümig have investigated the impact of party membership on MPs’ morality policy voting, exploring free votes on abortion, stem-cell research, and euthanasia in Germany after 1990. The article is to be published in Parliamentary Affairs. The Advance Access version is available here
New edited volume on the Multiple Streams Framework
A volume, co-edited by Reimut Zohlnhöfer and Friedbert Rüb, has just been published by the ECPR Press that seeks to explore the Multiple Streams Framework’s analytical potential both theoretically and empirically. The empirical applications use the framework in different national contexts, including Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, the UK, the US and the EU, and in varying policy areas, including economic policy, environmental policy, foreign policy, labor market policy, health care, the liberalization of the gas market and tobacco regulation. For more information, click here
New Paper on Multiple Streams Framework and German Labor Market Reforms published in Policy Studies Journal
Reimut Zohlnhöfer has applied the Multiple Streams Framework, modified by Herweg, Huß and Zohlnhöfer’s recent EJPR paper, to explain the Hartz IV reform, the most important labor market reform in recent German history. The paper is to be published in the Policy Studies Journal in 2016 and is already available as an online-first version here.
EJPR Forum Section on Multiple Streams Framework
Issue 3/2015 of the European Journal of Political Research includes a forum section on the Multiple Streams Framework, edited by Reimut Zohlnhöfer and Friedbert Rüb. You find more information here.
Handbuch Policy-Forschung erschienen
Das von Reimut Zohlnhöfer gemeinsam mit Georg Wenzelburger herausgegebene Handbuch Policy-Forschung ist im März 2015 bei Springer VS erschienen. Auf 750 Seiten finden sich 28 von führenden Vertretern der deutsch- sprachigen Policy-Forschung verfasste Kapitel zu den wichtigsten Theorien und Methoden der Politikfeldanalyse sowie zum Forschungsstand zu den wichtigsten Politikfeldern.
Politik im Zeichen der Krise – Bilanzen der zweiten Regierung Merkel
Ein von Reimut Zohlnhöfer und Thomas Saalfeld herausgege- bener Sammelband, der im Dezember 2014 bei Springer VS erscheint, zieht auf knapp 650 Seiten eine umfassende Bilanz der schwarz-gelben Regierung. Sowohl die Entwicklung von Politikfeldern als auch die Dynamik des Parteienwett-bewerbs und des Institutionen-systems zwischen 2009 und 2013 werden ausführlich dargestellt und analysiert.
Eine ausführliche Presseerklärung zu dem Buch finden Sie hier.
Zudem erscheint am Ende des Jahres ein ebenfalls von Thomas Saalfeld und Reimut Zohlnhöfer herausgegebenes Special Issue der Zeitschrift German Politics zum Thema „The Merkel Government and the German Election of 2013“.
Developments in German Politics 4 erschienen
Gemeinsam mit Stephen Padgett und William E. Paterson hat Reimut Zohlnhöfer die 4. Auflage der Developments in German Politics herausgegeben. Der Band erscheint im Juli 2014 bei Palgrave und enthält 14 von führenden internationalen Deutschland-Forschern geschriebene Kapitel zu den wichtigsten Fragen deutscher Politik – von der Reform des Föderalismus bis zur Migrationspolitik, von der Eurokrise bis zum Wahlverhalten.
„Große Koalitionen besser als ihr Ruf“
Im Wahlblog der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung ist ein Interview mit Reimut Zohlnhöfer über das Regieren in Großen Koalition erschienen. Das Interview finden Sie hier.
Symposium zur Validität von Lohnersatzraten in JEPP
Im Heft 9/2013 des Journal of European Public Policy ist ein von Reimut Zohlnhöfer, Georg Wenzelburger und Frieder Wolf herausgegebenes Symposium zum Thema „The validity problem in measuring welfare state genorsity” erschienen. Neben einem Beitrag der Herausgeber umfasst das Symposium Aufsätze von Lyle Scruggs, Tommy Ferrarini, Kenneth Nelson, Walter Korpi & Joakim Palme sowie Benjamin Danforth & John D. Stephens.
Fritz Thyssen Preis für sozialwissenschaftliche Aufsätze
Der Artikel von Reimut Zohlnhöfer, Frieder Wolf und Georg Wenzelburger „Parteien und die Generosität der Altersrenten in Zeiten permanenter Austerität“, erschienen in der Swiss Political Science Review 2012, wurde mit dem 1. Preis des Fritz Thyssen Preises für sozialwissenschaftliche Aufsätze ausgezeichnet.
Neuer Aufsatz zu Privatisierungspolitik in Comparative Political Studies
Der Aufsatz „Partisan Politics and Privatization in OECD Countries” von Herbert Obinger, Carina Schmitt und Reimut Zohlnhöfer ist als OnlineFirst-Version von Comparative Political Studies erschienen und kann von der CPS-Homepage heruntergeladen werden. Die Printfassung folgt vermutlich in Heft 1/2015.
Artikel ausgezeichnet!
Der Aufsatz „Parteien und die Generosität der Altersrenten in Zeiten permanenter Austerität“ von Reimut Zohlnhöfer, Frieder Wolf und Georg Wenzelburger, erschienen in Heft 1/2012 der Swiss Political Science Review, ist für die Publikation in der World Political Science Review vorgeschlagen worden.
Neues Forschungsprojekt: Political Expectations and Responsibility Attribution
Gemeinsam mit Raanan Sulitzeanu-Kenan (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) hat Reimut Zohlnhöfer ein neues Forschungsprojekt aufgenommen, das mithilfe von Experimenten der Beziehung zwischen politischen Erwartungen und der Zuweisung von Verantwortung für gescheiterte Policies an politische Akteure auf die Spur kommen soll. Das Projekt wird durch den Innovationsfonds Frontier der Universität Heidelberg finanziell unterstützt. Details
