School of Public Affairs

Organisational unit: Research School

Organisation profile

Leuphana School of Public Affairs is the academic and professional home to 1.000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students and 31 professors. 30 research associates and 17 professional staff members are working for us.

The main themes of the school are reflected in its study programs: The School of Public Affairs is currently responsible for three Majors and four Minors at Leuphana College, five Master’s programmes and five Doctoral research groups at Leuphana Graduate School as well as five continuing education Master's programmes at Leuphana Professional School. As a novelty in Germany, the Master of Law offers students the opportunity to obtain both a Master's degree in law (LL.M.) as well as the state law examination. With its emphasis on "Law in Context", this model degree programme transcends a classic-dogmatic perspective of jurisprudence by presenting the relevant contents from civil law, public law and criminal law against the backdrop of current societal challenges and transformations. 

Main research areas

Leuphana School of Public Affairs brings together the disciplines of Political Science, Law, and Economics under one roof. With 31 professorships, it establishes an innovative profile in Germany on issues of public affairs, gaining both national and international visibility and academic reputation.

The School conducts research on the major transformations of our time and thus continues to develop its existing research agenda on the future of democracy, evidence-based political decision-making and law in the context of societal transformation. In an interdisciplinary collaborative endeavour, the three subjects will, among other things, answer pressing questions about

  • the legitimacy and performance of democracies, whose integrative power is under threat, especially in light of recent upheavals in politics and society,
  • the role of the state with regard to the relationship between private-law and public-law regulation,
  • the justification of governmental intervention into market processes and their ex-post evaluation.
  1. 2023
  2. Published

    Parlamentarische Minderheitenrechte in Zeiten der Polarisierung

    Koß, M., 01.06.2023, Mehrheit/Minderheit: Über ein notwendiges Strukturmerkmal des demokratischen Verfassungsstaats. Krüper, J. & Pilniok, A. (eds.). Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck GmbH and Co. KG, p. 73-95 23 p. (Beiträge zum Organisationsverfassungsrecht ; vol. 14).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    In the name of God and Christianity: mapping parties’ and candidates’ religious communication in Latin America

    Schwörer, J. & Fernández-García, B., 06.2023, In: Religion, State and Society. 51, 2, p. 131-152 22 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Toward the sustainability state? Conceptualizing national sustainability institutions and their impact on policy-making

    Mathis, O. L., Rose, M., Newig, J. & Bauer, S., 06.2023, In: Environmental Policy and Governance. 33, 3, p. 313-324 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published
  6. Published

    European Yearbook of International Economic Law 2022

    Bäumler, J. (Editor), Binder, C. (Editor), Bungenberg, M. (Editor), Krajewski, M. (Editor), Rühl, G. (Editor), Tams, C. J. (Editor), Terhechte, J. (Editor) & Ziegler, A. R. (Editor), 24.05.2023, Cham: Springer International Publishing AG. 581 p. (European Yearbook of International Economic Law; vol. 13)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  7. Published

    Existential insecurity and deference to authority: the pandemic as a natural experiment

    Foa, R. S. & Welzel, C., 19.05.2023, In: Frontiers in Political Science. 5, 12 p., 1117550.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Verantwortungsteilung

    Zaun, N., 19.05.2023, Flucht- und Flüchtlingsforschung: Handbuch für Wissenschaft und Studium. Scharrer, T., Glorius, B., Kleist, J. O. & Berlinghoff, M. (eds.). Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, p. 529-538 10 p. III.3.7

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Agents, Audiences, and Peers: why international organizations diversify their legitimation discourse

    Lenz, T. & Schmidtke, H., 01.05.2023, In: International Affairs. 99, 3, p. 921-940 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    The Origins of Legitimation Strategies in International Organizations: Agents, Audiences and Environments

    Lenz, T. & Söderbaum, F., 01.05.2023, In: International Affairs. 99, 3, p. 899–920 22 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. Published

    Media Freedom and the Escalation of State Violence

    Carey, S. C., González, B. & Mitchell, N. J., 05.2023, In: Political Studies. 71, 2, p. 440-462 23 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review