Key research themes
1. How do participatory and deliberative procedures contribute to democratic legitimacy and effectiveness in policy making?
This research area explores the rise and impact of innovative participatory and deliberative governance mechanisms designed to enhance democratic input, quality of deliberation, and policy effectiveness amidst the shift from hierarchical 'government' to horizontal 'governance'. The studies focus on assessing these procedural devices with respect to openness, deliberation quality, transparency, accountability, and their capacity to address deficiencies in representative democracy, especially in contexts with politically contentious and complex issues.
2. How has the concept and identity of the policymaker evolved in modern administrative states?
This thematic cluster analyzes the historical emergence and conceptual development of the ‘policymaker’ as a modern political identity intimately tied to the creation and expansion of administrative states. It investigates how shifts in governance and administration, particularly in the US context of the early-to-mid twentieth century, shaped the role and institutionalization of policy actors involved in decision-making beyond traditional legislative functions. This area also examines normative implications of the policymaker’s rise and its impact on political and bureaucratic dynamics.
3. How can complexity theory and computational methods enhance our understanding of policy change and agenda setting?
This domain investigates the application of complexity science—including complexity theory and computational modeling—to unravel the dynamic, nonlinear, and networked nature of policy change and agenda setting processes. It addresses the micro-macro problem by linking actor-level social interactions to emergent policy dynamics, and assesses methodological innovations that allow for more precise modeling and operationalization of complex policy phenomena. This research provides a pathway toward deeper empirical and theoretical insights into policy stability, transformation, and institutional adaptation under complexity.