Comparative Politics

Projects, scholarships and other third-party funds

Research Projects

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  Habersack, Fabian Jonas: ASPoB. Austrian Study of Populist Backlashes against Liberal Democracy: Elite Mobilization and Citizen Reactions.
  Tiroler Nachwuchsforscher*innenförderung (TNF)
  2026-04-01 - 2027-06-30
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger: COCOPE. The End of Party Government? Assessing the Conditions and Consequences of Personal Parties¿ Rise to Power.
  Háskóli Íslands - University of Iceland (UI), Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects - Aurora European University Alliance
  2025-03-28 - 2027-03-28
  
  
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  Habersack, Fabian Jonas: VOCAL. Voting, Congruence, and Anti-Liberalism. A Survey Experimental Approach.
  Universität Innsbruck - Vizerektorat für Forschung, Early Stage Funding
  2022-09-01 - 2023-08-30
  
  

Scholarships

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  Helms, Ludger: Fachspezifischer Forschungsaustausch u.a. zum Gegenstand des politischen Erbes von Langzeit-Amtsinhabern. Fachspezifischer Forschungsaustausch u.a. zum Gegenstand des politischen Erbes von Langzeit-Amtsinhabern.
  Universität Innsbruck - International Relations Office (IRO), Staff Outgoing
  2024-08-07 - 2024-08-24
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger: Autocratic Leadership and Followership.
  Universität Innsbruck - International Relations Office (IRO), Staff Outgoing
  2024-07-16 - 2024-07-31
  
  
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  Habersack, Fabian Jonas: Wie schaffen die Parteien ein Gleichgewicht zwischen Reaktionsfähigkeit und ideologischer Kontinuität? Untersuchung des Wandels der ideologischen Positionen der Parteien bei zentralen und peripheren politischen Themen (Prof. Dr. Annika Werner).
  Universität Innsbruck - International Relations Office (IRO), Staff Incoming
  2024-06-03 - 2024-06-23
  
  

Publications

Books

Monograph, Scientific

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  Helms, Ludger; Winter-Ebmer, Rudolf; Zohlnhöfer, Reimut (2024): Austria Report. Sustainable Governance Indicators 2024. Gütersloh: Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  

(Co-)Edited Books

Anthology / Collected Edition (Editorship)

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  Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo (2024): Kommunalwahlen in Vorarlberg 1950–2020. Fakten, Prozesse, Perspektiven. Innsbruck, Wien u.a.: Studienverlag. ISBN 978-3-7065-5514-2. (Web link)
  
  

Contributions to Books / Journals

Journal Article (Original Paper)

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  Habersack, Fabian (2025): A Question of Commitment: Investigating How Citizens Perceive Parties' Programmatic Responses to Competition.
  In: Government and Opposition 60/3, pp. 826 - 849. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Habersack, Fabian (2025): Carrots and sticks: How voter loyalty and electoral opportunities shape parties' policy priorities in Europe.
  In: European Journal of Political Research 64/3, pp. 1440 - 1464. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger (2025): Managing the legacy of long-term leaders: The curious evolution of leadership styles in the German chancellery.
  In: German Politics 34/2, pp. 207 - 231. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger (2025): Mythos „Kanzlerdemokratie" / The myth of “chancellor democracy”.
  In: Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft 19/1, pp. 123 - 145. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger (2025): Twenty-first Century Autocrats and their Followers: A Comparative Inquiry.
  In: Politics and Governance 13, No. 9065. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Mickler, Tim; Otjes, Simon; Willumsen, David (2025): Who gets to speak for the party? How Parliamentary Party Groups Select Spokespersons.
  In: Legislative Studies Quarterly 50/3, No. e12492. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Otjes, Simon; Willumsen, David M; Ligthart, Djessie (online first): Government Alternation and Satisfaction with Democracy.
  In: West European Politics. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Willumsen, David (2025): Where do we go? Explaining democratic capital location preferences.
  In: Political Geography 122, No. 103385. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Willumsen, David; Otjes, Simon (online first): Coalition Government Formation and Policy Payoffs.
  In: European Journal of Political Research. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Willumsen, David; Otjes, Simon (2025): Coalition government, frustrated majorities, and minority rule.
  In: Party Politics 31/4, pp. 790 - 797. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger (2024): Prime ministers in waiting? Women leaders of the opposition in Westminster systems.
  In: Party Politics 30/4, pp. 649 - 661. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger; Vercesi, Michelangelo (2024): Cabinet Reshuffles in Parliamentary Democracies: A Typology and Framework for Comparative Analysis.
  In: Government and Opposition 59/4, pp. 1161 - 1182. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger; Vercesi, Michelangelo (2024): The Comparative Politics of Cabinet Reshuffles.
  In: Government and Opposition 59/4, pp. 1148 - 1160. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Dingler, Sarah; Helms, Ludger (2023): Parliamentary women opposition leaders: A comparative assessment across 28 OECD countries.
  In: Politics and Governance 11/1, pp. 85 - 96. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Habersack, Fabian; Heinisch, Reinhard; Jansesberger, Viktoria; Mühlböck, Armin (2023): Perceived Deprivation and Voter Turnout in Austria: Do Views on Social Inequality Moderate the Deprivation—Abstention Nexus?
  In: POLITICAL STUDIES 71/4, pp. 1006 - 1024. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Habersack, Fabian; Werner, Annika (2023): How non-radical right parties strategically use nativist language. Evidence from an automated content analysis of Austrian, German, and Swiss election manifestos.
  In: Party Politics 29/5, pp. 865 - 877. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger (2023): Why do Parties Select Non-Partisan Ministers? The Paradox of Ministerial Selection in Austria.
  In: Representation 59/3, pp. 513 - 530. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Ohmura, Tamaki; Willumsen, David (2023): Free votes and the analysis of recorded votes: evidence from Germany (1949–2021).
  In: West European Politics 46/6, pp. 1205 - 1221. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Otjes, Simon; Willumsen, David (2023): Winning & losing in coalition systems. A quasi-experimental study of the effect of coalition formation on satisfaction with democracy.
  In: Electoral Studies 84, Nr. 102646. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Willumsen, David (2023): Policy preferences, unity, and floor dissent in the European parliament.
  In: Journal Of European Public Policy 30/10, pp. 2010 - 2030. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  

Journal Article (Review)

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  Helms, Ludger (2023): Political oppositions in democratic and authoritarian regimes: A state-of-the-field(s) review.
  In: Government and Opposition 58, pp. 391 - 414. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  

Journal Article (Editorial)

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  Grotz, Florian; Helms, Ludger (2025): Making Sense of Comeback Prime Ministers.
  In: European Political Science Review 17/4, pp. 711 - 728. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Dingler, Sarah C.; Helms, Ludger; Müller, Henriette (2023): Women opposition leaders: Conceptual issues and empirical agendas. Politics and Governance.
  In: Politics and Governance 11/1, pp. 80 - 84. (Full-text) (DOI) (Web link)
  
  

Book Chapter (Original Paper)

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  Dolezal, Martin; Habersack, Fabian (2025): Chapter 7. Austria.
  In: Lodge, Juliet; Smith, Julie; Fotopoulos, Stergios: Palgrave Handbook on the 2024 European Parliament Elections. Houndmills [u.a.]: Palgrave Macmillan., ISBN 978-3-031-87397-3, pp. 91 - 106.
  
  
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  Fernandes, Ana Tereza; Jenny, Marcelo (2024): Dezentralisierung und Korruption: eine komplexe Beziehung.
  In: Bußjäger, Peter; Eller, Mathias: Compliance und Transparenz - Korruptionsprävention als Mehr-Ebenen-Aufgabe. Wien: new academic press (= Schriftenreihe des Instituts für Föderalismus, 140)., ISBN 978-3-7003-2316-7, pp. 23 - 35. (Web link)
  
  
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  Jenny, Marcelo (2024): Wettbewerb stimuliert: Einflussfaktoren der Wahlbeteiligung in Vorarlbergs Gemeinden (1985–2020).
  In: Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo: Kommunalwahlen in Vorarlberg 1950–2020. Fakten, Prozesse, Perspektiven. Innsbruck, Wien u.a.: Studienverlag., ISBN 978-3-7065-5514-2, pp. 255 - 266.
  
  
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  Jenny, Marcelo; Weber, Wolfgang (2024): Politisches Angebot und Wahlkampf.
  In: Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo: Kommunalwahlen in Vorarlberg 1950–2020. Fakten, Prozesse, Perspektiven. Innsbruck, Wien u.a.: Studienverlag., ISBN 978-3-7065-5514-2, pp. 161 - 201.
  
  
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  Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo (2024): Die Funktion von Wahlen auf kommunaler Ebene.
  In: Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo: Kommunalwahlen in Vorarlberg 1950–2020. Fakten, Prozesse, Perspektiven. Innsbruck, Wien u.a.: Studienverlag., ISBN 978-3-7065-5514-2, pp. 9 - 24.
  
  
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  Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo (2024): Resümee und Perspektiven.
  In: Pallaver, Günther; Weber, Wolfgang; Jenny, Marcelo: Kommunalwahlen in Vorarlberg 1950–2020. Fakten, Prozesse, Perspektiven. Innsbruck, Wien u.a.: Studienverlag., ISBN 978-3-7065-5514-2, pp. 321 - 340.
  
  
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  Willumsen, David (2024): Staggered Terms in Majoritarian and Non-Majoritarian Institutions.
  In: Goetz, Klaus H.: The Oxford Handbook of Time and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press., ISBN 9780190862084, pp. 153 - 174. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger (2023): Presidents and Prime Ministers – Then and Now.
  In: Keating, Michael; McAllister, Ian; Page, Edward C; Peters, B Guy: The Problem of Governing. Essays for Richard Rose. Houndmills [u.a.]: Palgrave Macmillan (= Executive Politics and Governance)., ISBN 978-3-031-40816-8, pp. 97 - 116. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Helms, Ludger; Umek, Philipp (2023): Der*die Bundespräsident*in.
  In: Prapotnik, Katrin; Perloth, Flooh: Das politische System Österreichs: Basiswissen und Forschungseinblicke. Wien [u.a.]: Böhlau., ISBN 978-3-205-21594-3, pp. 271 - 297. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  
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  Jenny, Marcelo (2023): Parteien und Parteiensystem.
  In: Prapotnik, Katrin; Perloth, Flooh: Das politische System Österreichs: Basiswissen und Forschungseinblicke. Wien [u.a.]: Böhlau., ISBN 978-3-205-21594-3, pp. 101 - 128. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  

Book Chapter (Reprint)

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  Helms, Ludger (2024): Pathways to the Chancellorship: The Making of Chancellor Scholz in Perspective.
  In: Langenbacher, Eric: Shifting Paradigms in German Politics and Sociecty. New York/Oxford: Berghahn Books., ISBN 978-1-80539-545-4, pp. 54 - 72. (DOI) (Web link)
  
  

(Book) Reviews

Journal Article (Book Review)

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  Willumsen, David (2023): John Gerring, Brendan Apfeld, Tore Wig, Andreas Forø Tollefsen (2022): The Deep Roots of Modern Democracy: Geography and the Diffusion of Political Institutions.
  In: Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft (OeZP) / Austrian Journal of Political Science 52/3, pp. 22 - 23. (DOI) (Web link)