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Our research is cross-national and empirical with a global focus: Europe (Western and Central-Eastern Europe) and North America, and more generally OECD countries, the MENA countries and the large democracies world-wide (Brazil, India, Japan, South Africa, Turkey). We also have research projects that include Latin America, Asia and Africa. A distinctive aspect of our research activity is the long-term perspective that includes developments since the early-19th century.
We analyze processes of state formation, nation-building and democratization. We conduct research on representation, electoral systems, electoral behaviour, political parties and ideologies, attitudes and national identities. Current projects have a focus on globalization, populist protest and technocracy. Among the doctoral dissertations that are written at the chair there are projects on cabinets, the representation of migrants, party identification, populism in politics and communication, voting rights for foreigners, state formation and ethnic conflict in Africa, and clientelism and direct democracy in Latin America. We also have consultancy collaborations with international organizations.
We regularly present our research in the main conferences, aim at publishing it in leading international journals and collaborate worldwide. We also organize workshops and summer schools.
We are responsible for a large number of courses and seminars, in particular with the basic and compulsory courses and accompanying tutorials in comparative politics at the bachelor level. At the bachelor and master level we are also in charge of the research seminars which lead to the writing of dissertations. In addition, we offer a number of more specialized seminars on electoral systems, party systems, political culture, state and nation, representation and ideology.
Our teaching activity is supported by one main textbook:
Caramani, Daniele (ed.)(2020). Comparative Politics, fifth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Post Docs:
Dr. Kiran Rose
Dr. Jelle Koedam
Dr. Hugo Subtil
Doctoral students/assistants:
Mingiy Zhang
Cheryl Vaterlaus
Associate researchers:
Eri Bertsou
Elections, electoral systems, voter behaviour, political parties and cleavage systems, state formation and nation-building, comparative methods, European integration, globalisation, regionalism and GIS cartography. His research includes broad cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses based on a large amount of quantitative data.
The Chair of Comparative Politics has a large offering of courses at bachelor, master and PhD level, ranging from broad introductory courses to specialized seminars. The complete course materials are available on OLAT for students only: lecture slides, syllabi, readings, datasets, instructions for exercises, blogs for comments on texts, links to databases and data archives, etc. Below, information is provided on courses, office hours, references and supervision.
Professor Caramani is the Director of the Doctoral Programme "Democracy Studies" and organizes the Swiss Summer School on Democracy. Eri Bertsou is the convenor of the Masters Colloquium.
Advanced Module in Comparative Politics
Daniele Caramani
Specialization in Comparative Politics: First Part
Kiran Auerbach and Jelle Koedam
Research Seminar: Political Representation in Comparative Perspective: First Part (Master)
Kiran Auerbach and Jelle Koedam
Elective Seminar: Political Culture
Kiran Auerbach
Elective Seminar: Electoral and Party Systems
Mingiy Zhang
Elective Seminar: The Rise and Decline of the West in the Modern World System (Master)
Not offered this semester
Elective Seminar: Left-Right in Global Perspective (Master)
Jelle Koedam
Systems and Theories
Multi-lectures course
Specialization in Comparative Politics: Second Part
Kiran Auerbach and Jelle Koedam
Research Seminar: Political Representation in Comparative Perspective: Second Part (Master)
Kiran Auerbach and Jelle Koedam
Comparative and European Politics (Master CIS)
Daniele Caramani and Frank Schimmelfennig
Elective Seminar: Nationalism and National Identity
Mingyi Zhang
Students are welcome to request a reference, by writing to caramani@ipz.uzh.ch, bertsou@ipz.uzh.ch and koedam@ipz.uzh.ch
The following conditions must be fulfilled:
No more than three candidates will be recommended for the same programme, scholarship or grant. The criterion is first-come-first-serve assuming the conditions above are fulfilled. Also, the same student will not be recommended for more than three programmes, scholarships or grants.
Supervision for bachelor dissertations are arranged in the third-year Specialization.
For supervision of master dissertations at the Department see the following guidelines (MA-Richtlinien (PDF, 37 KB)). For master dissertations of the MACIS see information at "Master's at CIS"
Supervision for doctoral dissertation must be discussed in person. Please write to caramani@ipz.uzh.ch
