I am a political scientist, currently working at the Central European University in Vienna.
I am mainly interested in the ways in which democracies evolve and how citizens and democratic institutions, such as social movements, political parties, parliaments, and administrations interact.
In my research, I conduct theoretically guided empirical analyses of how citizens‘ democratic demands are changing, how this affects how institutions work, and how institutions might adapt. I am especially interested in how social movements, protest initiatives, and political parties seek to create new opportunities for citizen engagement to enable a democratically self-detemined life. Also, my work addresses the challenges democracies face when democratic engagement, such as voting or party membership, diminishes.
In this webspace, I present parts of my work, my research projects and publications, as well as my media appearances.