Democracy Research

Elections and political attitudes are a core area of our research. Using survey data, which includes the German Longitudinal Election Study as well as digital behavioral data from social media platforms, we investigate political decision-making, changes in political attitudes, voting intentions, and voting behavior at national, European, and international levels.

Our current research focuses on

• Elections: We study voting behavior and the quality of representation in the interface between political parties and citizens.
• Political attitudes: We analyze the development of attitudes over time and in international comparison as well as their connection to politics and democracy.
• Political participation: We investigate different traditional and non-traditional forms of political participation of individuals and research the determinants of these forms of participation.
• Political communication and information: We investigate the role of digital media, especially social media, in political processes such as elections. Our research focuses on the production and communication of political content by parties, candidates, and the media as well as on the reception and effects of this information on citizens.