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Why do some people become politically active while others remain passive? How satisfied are citizens with political elites, their decisions, and democracy as a whole? And what contribution do political parties, associations, or newer forms of citizen participation make with regard to citizens’ political attitudes and their political participation?

These questions are explored by the “Department of Political Science and Political Sociology (SOWI I)” department. The research focuses on subnational and international comparative data collection. The data serve as the basis for examining citizens’ political participation and their attitudes toward politics, on the one hand, and political processes and their outcomes (e.g. in terms of laws), on the other.

The focus of the teaching consists of theories and methods in comparative political science and political sociology. The department’s courses address political institutions (e.g. government and parliament), political attitudes (e.g. towards government policies), political behavior (e.g. voting), and political processes (e.g. legislation).