Simon Primus

Dr. Simon Primus serves as an Akademischer Rat (Academic Council member) at the Chair of Comparative Politics within the Institute of Political Science at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). He holds a Dr. rer. soc. from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2021), an M.Phil from the University of Ghana (2015), and BA and MA degrees in Political Science from LMU Munich (2011, 2014).

His research focuses on comparative politics, particularly democratization processes and the interactions between individual political orientations and regime stability or change. Dr. Primus specializes in African politics, with a geographical focus on Sub-Saharan Africa, examining how democratic institutions introduced since 1990 function in practice. His methodological approach primarily relies on quantitative statistical methods, with particular interest in combining survey and macro data in multilevel models and time series analyses, while also valuing qualitative and critical perspectives.

Dr. Primus's scholarly work shows a consistent focus on electoral accountability, voting behavior, and democratization processes in African contexts, particularly Ghana. His publications demonstrate expertise in both theoretical frameworks of democracy and empirical analysis of voting patterns, with a special emphasis on how identity, poverty, and government performance influence electoral decisions in African democracies.

Among his notable achievements is receiving a doctoral scholarship from the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (2015-2018).

Prior to his current position at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (since October 2022), Dr. Primus worked as a Post-Doc at LMU Munich (2021-2022). He maintains regular consultation hours every Thursday from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, offering both in-person and online sessions by appointment. His field research experience includes significant work at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development during Ghana's 2016 presidential election.