Research

In the field of comparative political science with a focus on Europe, empirical democracy research takes centre stage. In particular, we analyse the crisis of liberal democracies, political identities and societal tensions as well as the potential problems of political parties.

Our current research projects and doctoral programmes systematically examine the state of European democracies (but also in comparison with other regions of the world) and address the following questions:

• Are established political parties as a whole and increasingly affected by marginalisation? Does this result in a crisis of political parties?
• Can a marginalisation of the political centre be observed in democratic societies, leading to a radicalisation and hardening of the margins?
• What strategies can moderate parties find in response to these problems in order to escape marginalisation?
• What political narratives are shaping populist polarisation? How can democracies create a positive future narrative again?
• What understandings of democracy exist among the population and how do these differ from political elites? What are the understandings of democracy of mainstream and challenger parties in European party systems?

In addition, the research is embedded in the diverse exchange with German and international political science, for example in the Fabrics of Democracy network or the research network The Sciences of the Democracies (ECPR).

Prof Bein also has a specific focus on the Italian political system. He is currently working on a new version of an introduction, together with Meike Heber (TU Dresden), which will be published by Springer VS in 2026.