New Threats to Democracy

This research focuses on new threats to democracy, with an emphasis on the inter-related challenges of radicalization, polarization, and political violence. In particular, using the most advanced tools of social science—surveys, survey experiments, and other methods—we seek to understand the economic, sociological, institutional, geographic, and cultural roots of radical right voting across advanced democracies. For example, what triggers radicalization processes? Why have radical right parties deepened their support with certain demographic groups? What explains the gender divide among radical right voting? What triggers spirals of polarization across political systems as political rivals begin to regard each other as not merely rivals but as existential threats? And what are polarization’s consequences for democracy? Finally, our research also seeks to understand the roots of political violence, investigating how social protest, voting and political violence interact.

Evolution of Democratic Ideas

The main premise of this research pillar is that the rise of democracy over the last two centuries was an ideational as well as institutional paradigm shift. The concept of 'democracy' was historically a pejorative term – equated with mob rule – in mainstream political discourse in the early nineteenth century. Today, to call something democratic is to bestow upon it the highest form of political legitimacy. How, when and why did this shift in discourse occur? Research in this area uses a variety of methods including statistical text analysis trace the ideational development of democracy across a range of democracies (e.g. Britain, the United States, France, Germany). For example, we investigate how German and British Members of Parliament in the 19th century talk about democracy, showing how and when MPS became gradually more positive in their usage of 'democracy' over the course of the nineteenth century and how the idea transformed from a dangerous into a popular.  A second face of this research program will be investigating recent innovations and changes in how citizens and political elites conceive of—and justify—democracy.

Democratization and Autocratization

This research pillar examines the dynamics of democratization and autocratization from a cross-national perspective, shedding light on how and why regimes transition between democracy and autocracy. It addresses critical questions, such as the economic consequences of regime change, or the role of institutions and mass mobilization in shaping regime trajectories. Projects under this pillar explore pathways to democracy, transnational repression by authoritarian states, and the conditions under which regimes experience significant transformations. By analyzing episodes of regime change and their drivers, this work advances our understanding of the global patterns and local mechanisms that define political regime transformations.

Memory Politics and Pluralism

In this research pillar, we study how key norms of democracy such as pluralism and mutual tolerance emerge and are sustained, with a particular focus on the role of the politics of memory. In democratic societies, how we collectively remember the past and engage with our nations’ histories is increasingly contested. From what is taught in school to the public monuments and memorials we erect or remove, memory politics have become a battle ground between those who seek to glorify the national past and those who seek to highlight atrocities and injustices committed, typically against minoritized groups. Actors across the political spectrum are mobilizing memory for their visions of what society should look like – drawing on the past to paint a picture for the future. Memory politics thus have important implications for political behavior and attitudes related to support for pluralism, tolerance, and democracy.

Completed Research Projects 

Political Legitimacy in times of crisis

Head:

Dr. Heiko Giebler, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weßels

Staff:

Dr. Constanza Sanhueza Petrarca

Student assistant: Sandra Horvath

Duration: December 2017 to September 2021

Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research