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Professor Dr Simon Bein

Substitute professor

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Simon Bein

Further information

CV

06/2010Abitur at the Von-Müller-Gymnasium Regensburg
10/2010-09/2014Bachelor of Arts at the Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg in Political and Social Studies
09/2011-10/2011Internship at the Bavarian State Parliament
09/2012-07/2013Erasmus programme at the University of Bologna/Italy
09/2013-09/2014Student assistant at the Chair of Comparative Political Science and Systems Studies at the University of Würzburg (Prof. Dr Hans-Joachim Lauth)
04/2014-09/2014Tutor and student assistant at the Department of Political Theory (Prof. Dr Michael Becker), University of Würzburg
10/2014-12/2014Internship at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Rome/Italy
04/2015-09/2017Master of Arts at the University of Regensburg in democracy studies
05/2016-12/2016Research assistant at the Chair of Political Science with a focus on Methods at the University of Regensburg (Prof. Dr Melanie Walter-Rogg)
03/2017-07/2017Internship at the European Parliament, Information Office in Germany (Berlin)
10/2017-09/2023Assistant professor at the Institute of Political Science at the University of Regensburg, Chair of Comparative Politics with a focus on Western Europe (Prof. Dr Martin Sebaldt)
07/2023Doctorate (Dr. phil.) with the thesis "Welche Identität braucht die Demokratie? Polarisation and balance in the field of tension between liberalism and republicanism" (summa cum laude). Supervisors: Prof. Dr Martin Sebaldt, Prof. Dr Hans-Joachim Lauth.
Since 10/2023Senior lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, Chair of Comparative Politics (specialising in Western Europe)
Since 05/2024Habilitation candidate at the Faculty of Philosophy, Art History, History, and Humanities at the University of Regensburg. Topic: "The disappearance of parties. Patterns and causes of their marginalisation in international comparison". Mentoring: Prof. Dr Martin Sebaldt, Prof. Dr Angela Ganter, Prof. Dr Hans-Joachim Lauth.
10/2024-03/2025Funding and release from teaching through the Academic Research Sabbatical Programme of the University of Regensburg
10/2025-09/2026Deputy Professor (W3) for Comparative Political Science (specialising in Europe), Institute of Political Science, University of Regensburg

Teaching

Basic coursesIntroduction to the comparison of Western governmental systems (WS 17/18 to SS 25, one or two groups per semester)
ExercisesIdentity and identity politics as a new line of conflict in Western democracies? (WS 18/19)
Current problem areas of Western democracies using Italy as a case study (SS 20)
Postdemocracy revisited: Taking stock of a controversial concept (WS 21/22)
The Performance of Democracies: Theoretical Explanatory Models and Current Empirical Findings (WS 22/23)
Continuity and change in the Italian party system (SS 23)
Political Culture Research (WS 23/24; WS 25/26)
Crisis of the political parties? Established actors and new movements in comparison (SS 24)
A Comparison of the Italian Political System (WS 25/26)
The party systems of Southern Europe: Portugal, Spain and Italy (SS 26)
Reform debates to strengthen democracy (SS 26)
Advanced seminarsTheory and empiricism of the crisis of established democracies (SS 25)
Success and decline of political parties (WS 25/26)
Advanced seminarsWestern and non-Western understandings of democracy in comparison (SS 26)
LecturesLogic of Democracy: The Political Systems
of the West in Theory and Practice (WS 25/26)
Comparative Democracy Research: Challenges and Crises of Existing Democracies (SS 26)
Other coursesParticipation in the seminar "Practical deepening of academic work in political science", together with the lecturers of the intermediate course (SS 23; WS 23/24)
Political science in practice: Project seminar with the Regensburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SS 26)

Research

Research interests

  • Classical and modern theories of democracy (esp. crisis of democracy, quality of democracy and different conceptions of democracy)
  • Comparative political science and empirical research on democracy, in particular
    • Political culture research (e.g. understanding of democracy, trust, participation, polarisation)
    • Empirical democracy and survey research (in particular democracy measurement)
    • Identity and democracy (in particular the relationship between political identities and democratic identity)
  • Democracy, parties and institutions in the Italian political system
  • Political parties and party systems in Western democracies

Completed dissertation project

What identity does democracy need? Polarisation and balance in the field of tension between liberalism and republicanism (completed in March 2023, published by Springer VS)

Ongoing habilitation project

The disappearance of parties. Patterns and causes of their marginalisation in international comparison.

Further projects:

  • Book project: Textbook on comparative democracy research (together with Hans-Joachim Lauth)
  • A comparison of the population's understanding of democracy and the political speech of politicians: The case of Bavaria (essay)
  • Italy's democracy under pressure? Causes, consequences and systematic findings from a European heartland for democracy research (planned as a scientific network with third-party funding; also textbook on the Italian political system in preparation, together with Maike Heber)

Publications

Monographs

  • [43] Heber, Maike and Simon Bein (2026): The Italian Political System. An introduction. Wiesbaden: Springer VS (in preparation).
  • [42] Lauth, Hans-Joachim and Simon Bein (2025): Comparative democracy research. Introduction. Baden-Baden: Nomos (to the e-book; review ZfVP, review PVS).
  • [41] Bein, Simon (2023): Identity and democracy. Polarisation and balance in the field of tension between liberalism and republicanism. Wiesbaden: Springer VS (Comparative political science series). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-42773-3.

Journal articles (*double-blind peer reviewed)

  • [40] Bein, Simon (2026): Einordnung und Analyse der Kommunalwahlen in Bavaria am 8. März 2026. in: Einsichten+Perspektiven 01/26 (Bayerische Zeitschrift für Politik + Geschichte), pp. 58-66.
  • *[39] Bein, Simon (2025): Affective polarisation and democratic identity: a comparison of Italy and Norway. In: Journal of Comparative Political Science (Online First). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12286-024-00623-w.
  • *[38] Bein, Simon (2023): Collective political identities and their contribution to explaining state performance in democracies. In: Journal of Comparative Political Science 17 (3), 225-260. DOI: http: //doi.org/10.1007/s12286-023-00576-6.
  • *[37] Bein, Simon (2022): The Dysfunctional Paradox of Identity Politics in Liberal Democracies. In: Journal of Comparative Political Science 16 (2), 212-246. DOI: https: //doi.org/10.1007/s12286-022-00522-y.
  • *[36] Bein, Simon (2022): How Is Collective Identity Possible in Democracies? Political Integration and the Leitkultur Debate in Germany. In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift 63 (1), 1-23. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s11615-021-00365-4.
  • *[35] Bein, Simon (2018): Democracies in crisis? On the contribution of central indices of democracy measurement to the debate on dysfunctions of established democracies. In: Journal of Political Science 28 (2), 147-171. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s41358-018-0133-4.
  • *[34] Bein, Simon (2018): From democracy to post-democracy? A proposal for reformulating a controversial concept. In: Journal of Political Theory 9 (1), 51-72. DOI: doi.org/10.3224/zpth.v9i1.03.

Co-editorship

  • [33] Lauth, Hans-Joachim; Bein, Simon; Fitzpatrick, Jasmin (eds.) (2026): Political Science. An introduction, 11th updated edition. Paderborn: utb.
  • [32] Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (eds.) (2025): Democracy between normative postulate and empirical reality. Challenges and crises in the debate. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
  • [31] Sebaldt, Martin; Bein, Simon; Enghofer, Sebastian; Ibscher, Verena; Illan, Luis (eds.) (2020): Democracy and Anomie. A fundamental challenge of modern popular rule in theory and practice, Wiesbaden: Springer VS. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-30533-8.

Anthology contributions

  • [30] Mols, Manfred; Bein, Simon (2026): Politik als Wissenschaft: Zur Definition, Entwicklung und Standortbestimmung einer Disziplin. In: Lauth, Hans-Joachim; Bein, Simon; Fitzpatrick, Jasmin (eds.): Politikwissenschaft. An introduction. Paderborn: utb. i.E.
  • [29] Lauth, Hans-Joachim; Wagner, Christoph; Bein, Simon (2026): Comparative political science: analysing and comparing political systems. In: Lauth, Hans-Joachim; Bein, Simon; Fitzpatrick, Jasmin (eds.): Politikwissenschaft. An introduction. Paderborn: utb. i.E.
  • [28] Bein, Simon; Welzel, Christian (2026): Scientific theoretical and methodological foundations. In: Lauth, Hans-Joachim; Bein, Simon; Fitzpatrick, Jasmin (eds.): Politikwissenschaft. An introduction. Paderborn: utb. i.E.
  • [27] Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (2025): Societal anchoring, intermediary governance and output of Western democracies: A conclusion. In: Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (eds.) (2025): Democracy between normative postulate and empirical reality. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 421-436. DOI: https: //doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-49216-8_19.
  • [26] Bein, Simon (2025): Crisis of democracy as a crisis of parties? Three perspectives on the marginalisation of political parties. In: Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (eds.) (2025): Democracy between normative postulate and empirical reality. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 193-217. DOI: https: //doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-49216-8_10.
  • [25] Bein, Simon (2025): Understandings of democracy, democratic polarisation and enemies of democracy. Observations from Bavaria. in: Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (eds.) (2025): Democracy between normative postulate and empirical reality. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 73-102. DOI: https: //doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-49216-8_5.
  • [24] Bein, Simon; Straßner, Alexander (2025): Die Demokratie zwischen normativem Postulat und empirischer Realität: Martin Sebaldt und die Demokratiewissenschaft. In: Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (eds.) (2025): Democracy between normative postulate and empirical reality. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 21-38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-49216-8_2.
  • [23] Bein, Simon; Straßner, Alexander (2025): Western democracies under pressure? On the concept and structure of the book. In: Straßner, Alexander; Bein, Simon (eds.) (2025): Demokratie zwischen normativem Postulat und empirischer Realität. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 3-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-49216-8_1.
  • [22] Guest, Henrik; Bein, Simon (2022): Political leadership. In: Zmerli, Sonja and Ofer Feldman (eds.), Political Psychology. Handbuch für Studium und Wissenschaft, 2nd ed., pp. 199-228. Baden-Baden: Nomos. DOI: doi.org/10.5771/9783748910121-199.
  • [21] Bein, Simon (2020): Anomie through identity threat? Opportunities and risks of the Leitkultur controversy in Germany. In: Sebaldt, Martin et al. (eds.), Democracy and Anomie, pp. 227-254, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
  • [20] Bein, Simon; Enghofer, Sebastian (2020): The problem of anomie. Traditions in the history of ideas and modern social science theories. In: Sebaldt, Martin et al. (eds.), Democracy and Anomie, pp. 19-38, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
  • [19] Bein, Simon (2020): Pathological potentials of cultural identities: A threat to democracy? In: Bizeul, Yves and Dennis B. Rudolf (eds.), Is there a cultural identity?, pp. 151-176, Baden-Baden: Nomos. DOI: doi.org/10.5771/9783845297934-149(Review)

Reviews

  • [18] Bein, Simon (2026): "Gagnon, Jean-Paul et al (2025): The Sciences of Democracies". In: Yearbook of Political Thought 2025/2026 (in progress).
  • [17] Bein, Simon (2025): "Häusermann, Silja and Herbert Kitschelt (eds.). 2024. Beyond Social Democracy. The Transformation of the Left in Emerging Knowledge Societies". In: Journal of Comparative Political Science 19 (1), 153-156. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12286-025-00641-2
  • [16] Bein, Simon (2025): Poguntke, Thomas, Wilhelm Hofmeister (eds.) (2024): Political Parties and the Crisis of Democracy. Organisation, Resilience, and Reform. In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift, Online First. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11615-025-00608-8.
  • [15] Bein, Simon (2023): "Carls, Paul (2023): Multiculturalism and the Nation in Germany. A Study in Moral Conflict". In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift 64 (4). doi.org/10.1007/s11615-023-00496-w.
  • [14] Bein, Simon (2022): "Crouch, Colin (2021): Postdemocracy revisited". In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift 63 (4), 729-731. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s11615-022-00420-8.
  • [13] Bein, Simon (2021): "Wilk, Martin (2020): Fragile collective identities. How social movements radicalise". In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift 62 (1), 183-185. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s11615-020-00295-7

Conference reports

  • [12] Bein, Simon; Kurrek, Dennis; Walz, Kevin (2023): "Democracy - flexible, disputable or endangered?" Anniversary conference of the DVPW Working Group on Democracy Research on 30 and 31 March 2023. In: Journal of Comparative Political Science. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12286-023-00572-w.

Other

Scientific media and blog posts

Media contributions

Lectures and presentations

  • "The Dual Crisis of Liberalism and the Paradigm of Democracy". Presentation at the conference "Backsliding, Resilience, Renewal? Democracy in Eras of Transformation", University of Passau, 5-7 October 2026 (together with Norma Osterberg-Kaufmann, Saskia Schäfer, Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach, Vanessa Boese-Schlosser and Veith Selk).
  • "Liberal understandings of democracy in decline? Insights from European party systems". Presentation at the ECPR General Conference 2026, Jagiellonian University, 8-11 September 2026 (together with Moritz Kinskofer and Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach).
  • "What is the Democratic Centre? Meaning, Constituent Characteristics and Functions of a Contested Concept". Presentation at the Dreiländertagung der DVPW, ÖGPW und SVPW, Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen, 17-19 June 2026 (together with Kristina Görlach and Moritz Kinskofer).
  • Salon for fundamental questions. Gesellschaftsraum on Tour, participation in panel discussion in Schwabach, 15.04.2026
  • "The End of Party Democracy? - Electoral Marginalisation of Political Parties and the Crisis of Liberal Democracy". Presentation at the workshop "Do Parties Still Matter" by DemocracyNet/University of Heidelberg, 20 February 2026 (together with Moritz Kinskofer).
  • "Aktuelle Stunde #3-2025. What moves our society?" Discussion in the Gesellschaftsraum Munich, 08.10.25."
  • "Who belongs to it? On the controversial nature of identity in democracy", lecture as part of the Intercultural Weeks of the City of Regensburg, 23.09.25.
  • "The End of Party Democracy? Electoral Marginalisation of Political Parties between 1960 and 2022", workshop of the network Fabrics of Democracy, HU Berlin, 22-23.09.25.
  • "Party Democracy in Crisis? A theoretical proposal for analysing the rise and fall of political parties". Presentation at the DVPW Annual Conference of the Comparative Political Science Section, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, 27 March 2025.
  • "Can the Dominance of a Specific Political Identity Explain Polarisation? Evidence from 27 Democracies", presentation at the 29th DVPW Congress, University of Göttingen, 24-27/09/2024.
  • "The Rise of Right-Wing Populism in European Democracies and the AfD in Germany. Cause or symptom of a crisis of democracy?" Online webinar for the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, 15/05/24.
  • "Aktuelle Stunde #2-2024: What moves our society?" Discussion in the Gesellschaftsraum Munich, 09.04.24.
  • Polarisation of Political Identity Conflicts in Democracies. The Example of Liberalism and Republicanism. Presentation at an online meeting of the Fabrics of Democracy network , 16/06/23.
  • Identity and Democracy. Some Considerations on a Difficult Relationship. Presentation at an application workshop of the network Fabrics of Democracy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 06.10.22.
  • Is There a Dominant Understanding of Democracy? Political Identity between Liberalism and Republicanism in 27 Democracies Paper presentation at the DVPW Section Conference on Comparative Political Science, European University Frankfurt (Oder), 22/09/22.
  • What basic consensus? On the Impossibility of Collective Identity in Democracies Presentation at the 2nd DVPW Thematic Conference, University of Göttingen (Schwindet der Grundkonsens? Identity conflicts and political participation in civil society), 28.5.21.
  • How much identity does democracy need? Politische Identitätskonzeptionen und staatliche Leistungsprofile im Vergleich Presentation of the doctoral project at the Tag des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses, Promotionskolleg der Philosophischen Fakultäten der Universität Regensburg (PUR), 25.07.19.
  • Identity and identity politics as a new line of conflict in liberal democracy? Lecture at the conference of the DVPW working group on politics and culture, University of Potsdam, 27/03/19 (together with Leopold Zaak).
  • Collective identities as determinants of different democratic values. Paper presentation at the Dreiländertagung der SVPW, ÖGPW und DVPW 2019 in the panel "Configurations of Democracy", ETH Zurich, 14.02.19.
  • Who belongs to it? Cultural Identities in the Tension of Modern Democracies. Lecture at the annual conference of the DVPW working group on politics and culture entitled "Gibt es eine kulturelle Identität?", University of Rostock, 13 July 2018.
  • Can post-democracy be measured? Four democracy indices in comparison. Paper presentation at the annual conference of the Austrian Society for Political Science, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, 01/12/17.
  • The election as a criterion of democracy. Quality differences and possible variations of the 'mirror rules of democracy'. Lecture at the weekend seminar for annual scholarship holders of the Free State of Bavaria (Freistaat Bayern), in cooperation with the Bavarian University Centre for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, Regensburg Youth Hostel, 17.11.17.

Academic self-administration

  • Since WS 2024/2025: Member of the Examination Board M.A. Democracy Studies
  • SS 2024: Part of the election committee for the speaker election in the Comparative Political Science section of the DVPW
  • SS 2023: Member of the AG Evaluation Political Science (degree programme evaluation)
  • Since summer semester 2023: Reviewer for various journals (in 2023 reviewer for Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, Moral Philosophy and Politics and Critical Sociology)
  • 12/2023 - 03/2026: Erasmus representative of the Institute of Political Science
  • WS 2021 - SS 2023: re-elected member of the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Philosophy, Art History, History, and Humanities at the University of Regensburg as a representative of the academic mid-level faculty
  • WS 2019 - SS 2021: Elected member of the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Philosophy, Art History, History and Humanities at the University of Regensburg as a representative of the academic mid-level faculty

Awards and grants

  • 2020: € 1070, DAAD travel grant for congress trips, IPSA World Congress of Political Science, Lisbon (Portugal), cancelled due to Corona.
  • 2024: 9000 €, funding through the Academic Research Sabbatical Programme of the University of Regensburg (release from teaching in WS 24/25 and acquisition of 7000 € for the chair and 2000 € for own research).
  • 2025: 8435 €, Seed Grant (financial incentive system for the acquisition of third-party funding at the University of Regensburg, line 4).
  • 2026: €1000 (financial incentive system for third-party funding of the University of Regensburg, line 5).

Supervision of theses

Supervised work as first reviewer:

  • "Loyalty to democracy. Comparative analysis of the influence of semi-loyal democrats on established democracies" (bachelor's thesis, November 2024).
  • "Populism. Symptom or cause of the crisis of democracy? The case study of Italy" (bachelor's thesis, January 2026).
  • "Political interpretation patterns, society positioning and Christian identity in a free church context" (bachelor's thesis, February 2026).
  • "Factors in the formation of minority governments. Denmark and Germany in comparison" (bachelor's thesis, March 2026)
Notes on the supervision of theses (PDF | 196.32 KB) (opens in a new window). (This PDF is not accessible)
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