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. 2015
  2. Methods and Methodologies for Researching Globalization and Development - 2015

    Kruse, S. (Speaker)

    28.05.201529.05.2015

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventExternal workshops, courses, seminarsResearch

  3. Public Lecture Series "Global Politics" 2015

    van Hüllen, V. (Organiser)

    21.05.2015

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  4. Boston University

    Seha, E. M. (Visiting researcher)

    01.05.201531.07.2015

    Activity: Visiting an external institutionVisiting an external academic institutionResearch

  5. Max Kaase: Researcher, Builder, Leader and Human Person - A Tribute to a Stellar Career

    Welzel, C. (Speaker)

    05.2015

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesResearch

  6. Was sind epistemische Regime?

    Saretzki, T. (Speaker)

    28.04.2015

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesEducation

  7. 73d Annual COnference of the Midwest Political Science Association - MPSA 2015

    Kubbe, I. (Speaker)

    16.04.201519.04.2015

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  8. Konferenz „Politische Kommunikation und Interessenvertretung erleben”

    Müller-Rommel, F. (Organiser)

    16.04.2015

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesTransfer

  9. Experiments in Social Sciences: Method School

    Kubbe, I. (Lecturer)

    10.04.201511.04.2015

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesTransfer

  10. Key Lecture: The Civic Culture Transformed: From Allegiant to Assertive Citizens

    Welzel, C. (Lecturer)

    07.04.201510.04.2015

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesResearch

  11. The Civic Culture Transformed: From Allegiant to Assertive Citizens

    Welzel, C. (Speaker)

    04.2015

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesResearch