Center for the Study of Democracy

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

The interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Democracy was founded on 2 June 2004 on the recommendation of the Scientific Commission of Lower Saxony under the chairmanship of Professor Dr. Hans Dieter Klingemann. Founding Director and Head of the CSD from 2004 to 2018 was Professor Dr. Ferdinand Müller-Rommel. 

The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) brings together the research activities of the members of the Institute for Political Science (IPW) under one roof. The Center is primarily concerned with the analysis of democratic orders and processes. The research activities can be divided into three core areas:

  • The institutional, ideational and material foundations of democratic orders;
  • The drivers of political change in these orders;
  • And the impact of democratic policymaking on society, economy and the environment.

The Centre is also actively involved in promoting young scientists and fosters the international and regional networking of research institutions devoted to the study of democracy.

 

Main research areas

The activities of the CSD include:

  • Implementing research projects on the three core topics: foundations, transformation, and impact of democracy
  • Organization of international conferences and workshops on current issues of democracy research
  • Collection and coordination of international data sets, especially the World Values Survey, the Comparative Political Data Set, and the database on Central and Eastern European Political Systems and Governments
  • Promotion of research in the form of doctoral and post-doctoral scholarships at the Center
  • Hosting regular guest lectures by internationally renowned scientists and early career researchers
  • Active scientific promotion of young talent in the form of regular doctoral seminars on theories and methods of democracy research as well as in the form of summer schools for doctorate students and inter-university graduate networks
  • Establishing contacts between science and practice

Teaching

  • PHD-Summerschool
  • Politikberatung
  1. Online-Diskussion: Deutsche Abschiebungspolitik im Praxistest

    Münch, S. (Speaker)

    06.05.2020

    Activity: Talk or presentationtalk or presentation in privat or public eventsTransfer

  2. No participation without representation: demands and supplies on representation in European participatory governance

    Friedrich, D. (Speaker)

    03.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  3. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG (Publisher)

    Oeftering, T. (Editor)

    2017 → …

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workEditor of seriesEducation

  4. NNA-Forum "Klimaschutz in Niedersachsen (II)" 2012

    Ebermann, V. (Participant)

    18.10.2012

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  5. Negotiating Democracy (Promotion) with Authoritarian Regimes:The EU & North Africa

    van Hüllen, V. (Speaker)

    05.04.2018

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  6. Natur und Landschaft in der niedersächsischen Anpassungsstrategie an den Klimawandel

    Ebermann, V. (Oral presentation)

    22.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesResearch

  7. National Research University - Higher School of Economics

    Welzel, C. (Visiting lecturer)

    2013

    Activity: Visiting an external institutionVisiting an external academic institutionResearch

  8. National Research University - Higher School of Economics

    Welzel, C. (Visiting researcher)

    2012

    Activity: Visiting an external institutionVisiting an external academic institutionResearch