I am a political scientist working as professor for Comparative European Politics at Saarland University. Before joining Saarland University, I held positions as a professor for Policy Analysis and Political Economy at the University of Kaiserslautern and as an assistant professor at the Chair of Comparative Politics at the University of Freiburg.

In my research, I am mainly interested in comparing public policies in Western countries with a focus on the welfare state, the politics of law and order policies and insecurity as well as public finances. Living at the German-French border, I also have a genuine interest in border regions and how Europe is reflected in real life in these cross-border contexts. More recently, I have also analyzed how digitalization affects politics, public administration, and – more generally – the foundations of democracy.
My scientific approach is empirical and analytical in nature and I use quantitative and qualitative methods to study patterns of politics and policy-making. Theoretically, I draw on theories of comparative political economy and public policy research with a special interest in how political parties affect policies and how they translate voter’s interests into governmental action.

During my academic life, I have been teaching a multitude of courses on comparative politics, public policy analysis, political economy, political parties and research methods. At Saarland University, I teach within the European Studies programme.

More information on publications can be found on my Google Scholar profile.

Please visit my institutional website for more information about Political Science and European Studies at Saarland University!