André Kaiser

Professor André Kaiser holds the Chair in Comparative Politics at the University of Cologne’s WiSo Faculty. His research focuses on political institutions, federalism, decentralization, and multilevel governance, emphasizing their economic and political impacts. He is a Principal Investigator in the Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute and serves on multiple academic committees, including the DFG Review Board for Social Sciences. His work explores how institutional frameworks shape policy outcomes and political dynamics in capitalist democracies.

• Affiliations: Cologne Center for Comparative Politics, Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute, and Turkish-German University initiative
• Educational Background: Habilitation (2000, Mannheim), PhD (1994, Freiburg), Professorships at Cologne (since 2003) and Konstanz (2000-2001)

Research Interests: His studies analyze federal systems’ effects on economies, party systems, and representation. Recent work examines asymmetric minority accommodation and women’s legislative roles in multilevel governance contexts.

Publications: Over 20 peer-reviewed articles and books, including key works on competitive authoritarianism, Westminster opposition dynamics, and manifesto-based party positioning.

Grants & Leadership: Leads major research initiatives and advisory roles, including the Emerging Fields Initiative at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and the International Max Planck Research School.