CfP German Politics Specialist Group’s Workshop
Winterbourne House & Garden, University of Birmingham, will be hosting the Political Studies Association (PSA)’s German Politics Specialist Group (GPSG) workshop on November 29, 2019.
The GPSG, supported by the PSA’s ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ Scheme and the Institute for German Studies at the University of Birmingham, invites paper proposals for a one-day workshop.
The GPSG invites contributions from both academic scholars and practitioners (from, for example, think tanks, journalism, and politics) on the theme of ‘The Future of Party Politics – Insights from Germany’. Reflecting on the results and consequences of the many elections of 2019, the aim of the workshop is to discuss recent developments in German party politics in comparison to other countries, in particular the UK.
The GPSG welcomes papers on all issues related to the workshop theme. In particular, we are keen to receive proposals on the following aspects:
1) The End of the Catch-all Parties/Volksparteien?
What do the electoral successes of the German Greens and the Alternative for Germany tell us about the changing parameters of Germany’s party systems? Has the concept of ‘catch-all parties’ outlived itself or do we simply see new ones emerging?
2) The (In)Stability of Coalition Governments
What challenges do coalition governments in Germany face? Why are some coalition governments more stable than others? Will the changing dynamic of party competition make it more difficult to form stable (coalition) governments?
3) The Changing Voter Landscape
What cleavages define inter-party competition in Germany today? How do German parties respond to changes in voters’ preferences?
The GPSG welcome interdisciplinary and comparative approaches. Early career researchers and doctoral students are particularly encouraged to submit a paper proposal.
The workshop is free to attend and lunch will be provided.
Please submit your abstract of no more than 200 words to Josefin Graef (J.Graef@lse.ac.uk) by Monday, 14 October 2019. You can also contact Josefin should you have any questions about the workshop.