Peter Starke

Peter Starke is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Management at the University of Southern Denmark’s Faculty of Business and Social Sciences. His research focuses on comparative welfare state studies, political economy, and qualitative methods. He specializes in welfare state reform, globalization’s impact on welfare systems, policy diffusion, and the interplay between war and welfare state development. His current projects include studies on the German minimum wage reform, social care policy dynamics, and the political economy of welfare and security.

Starke has held academic roles such as membership in the ECPR’s Standing Group on Political Economy and the German Political Science Association. He has led research projects like the ‘Politics of Insecurity’ (POINS) and contributed to over 67 research outputs, including books and peer-reviewed articles. His awards include the JEPP Prize (2011) and the Fritz-Thyssen-Preis (2014 runner-up).

He teaches courses on globalization, political parties, and public policy processes, reflecting his commitment to bridging academic research and practical policy analysis. His work frequently explores the intersections of welfare, crime, and social inequality, as seen in his edited volume Unequal Security: Welfare, Crime and Social Inequality (2025).