Niklas Potrafke

Niklas Potrafke is a Professor of Economics, especially Public Finance, at the Faculty of Economics of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and Head of the ifo Center for Public Finance and Political Economy since April 2012. He has previously held a Post-Doc Researcher position at the University of Konstanz (2008–2012). His primary research areas include Political Economy, Applied Econometrics, and Public Finance.

• University: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
• Center: ifo Center for Public Finance and Political Economy
• Email: potrafke@ifo.de

His research focuses on empirical analyses of government ideology, electoral cycles, public policy, and fiscal sustainability. He has extensively studied topics such as corruption and economic growth, trade openness and inequality, voter turnout determinants, and political alignment in international institutions. His work often employs cross-country panel data and survey-based experiments.

Recent articles analyze political representation, defense policy opinions, and economists' views on tariffs. His Economic Experts Survey and ifo Local Election Lab projects provide insights into policy trends and voter behavior.