Lea Elsässer

Dr. Lea Elsässer is a Researcher (Postdoc) at the Department of Comparative Politics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since April 2022. She holds a PhD from the University of Osnabrück and has held research positions at institutions including the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, University of Münster, and University of Duisburg-Essen. Her research focuses on political representation, social inequality, and political economy, particularly regarding welfare state dynamics and tax policies.

Education:

• PhD in Political Science, University of Osnabrück (2016)
• Master's in Economics, University of Cologne (2010)
• Bachelor's in International Economics and European Studies, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen

Research Interests: Dr. Elsässer’s work examines how social and economic inequalities shape political representation, with a focus on welfare state policies and tax systems. She explores questions such as: How do political elites respond to different societal groups? What drives social democratic approaches to wealth taxation? Her interdisciplinary approach bridges political science, sociology, and economics.

Teaching: She co-leads the seminar Analysis and Comparison of Political Systems in the Summer Semester 2025, focusing on comparative politics methodologies and democratic institutions.

Labs/Teams: Her research often involves collaborations with institutions like the Max Planck Institute and international networks in comparative political economy.