Bernhard Weßels, Curriculum Vitae                                                           March 2009

 

Bernhard Weßels, PD Dr.

Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
(Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH)

Reichpietschufer 50
10785 Berlin
Germany

Tel.: +49 30 25491-315; -313 (Secr.)
Fax: +49 30 25491-345

E-mail: wessels@wzb.eu

Web: http://www.wzb.eu/zkd/dsl/leute/bernhard_wessels.en.htm

 

 

Position:

Senior research fellow
Deputy director of the research unit "Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges" at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)

Teaching: PD, Humboldt University Berlin, Faculty Member of the Berlin Graduate School of the Social Sciences (BGSS)

Running funded research

German Longitudinal Election Study, 2009-2017 (GLES), long-term fund of the German Science Foundation (DFG), co-applicant (with Sigrid Rossteutscher, Hans Rattinger, and Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck) and principle investigator

 

PIREDEU (Providing an Infrastructure for Research on Electoral Democracy in the European Union), 2008-2011, funded by 7th frame work program of the EU, member of the steering committee, principle investigator for work package 3, European Candidate Survey

Actual professional
activities

Member of the Planning Committee of the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES)

 

Vice president of the German Society of Electoral Research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wahlforschung, e.V., DGfW)

 

Member of the scientific advisory board of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna (IHS)

 

Member of the scientific advisory board of the Austrian National Election Study (AUTNES)

 

 

Born:

October 5, 1955

Place of birth:

Bremen

Family status:

married

Children:

one son, one daughter

 

 

Education

 

 

1962-1965

Lessing-Grundschule, (primary school), Bremen

 

1965-1968

Baluschek-Grundschule (primary school), Berlin

 

1968-1976

Leibniz-Gymnasium (High School), Berlin

 

1976

University-Entrance diploma (Abitur)

 

1976-1982

Studies in sociology, political economy, statistics, and political science at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)

 

1982

Final degree in sociology (Diploma)

 

12/1989

PhD, graduation to Dr. phil., Department of Political Science, FU Berlin

 

2/2000

Venia legendi for political science, Department of Political and Social Sciences, FU Berlin

 

3/2000

Private lecturer, Department of Political and Social Sciences, FU Berlin

 

 

Academic positions

 

 

1978-1981

Freelance student assistant at the Central Institute for Social Research (Zentralinstitut für sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung),  FU Berlin

 

1981-1982

Student assistant, Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin

 

1982-1983

Research assistant, Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin

 

1983 -

Lecturer for political science at the Department of Political Science, FU Berlin

 

10/1985-3/1987

Lecturer at the Institute for Sociology at the FU Berlin

 

10/1986-9/1989

Assistant professor, Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin

 

10/1989-

Senior research fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), research unit “Institutions and Social Change” (until 3/2003)

From 4/2003 on: senior research fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), research unit “Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges”

 

1992-3/2003
(completion of the research unit)

Deputy director, research unit “Institutions and Social Change” at the WZB

 

11/1999

Guest professor, Institute for Advanced Studies (Institut für Höhere Studien, IHS), Vienna; post-graduate seminar on attitudes towards European integration

 

3/2000-

Private lecturer for political science, FU Berlin

 

4/2003-

Deputy director, research unit “Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges" at the WZB

 

7/2008-

Private lecturer for political science, Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for Social Sciences,

 

2/2009

Faculty Member of the Berlin Graduate School of the Social Sciences (BGSS)

 

 

Research projects

 

 

1982-1983

Research assistant in the project "Political crisis factors in the socio-economic system of Berlin" (funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, project manager Hans-Dieter Klingemann)

 

1984-1986

Freelance collaborator in the research program ''Conflict potentials and consent strategies in the socio-political system of the Federal Republic of Germany'', subproject "Electors and elected" (funded by the Commission for the Promotion of Research and Training at the FU Berlin, project convener Dietrich Herzog)

 

1985-1987

Research project "Communication potential in the subculture of Berlin" (university project, funded by the Institute for Sociology at the FU Berlin, with Thomas Pahnke)

 

1986-1988

Cooperation in the project ''Archive of political elites: social change and elite transformation'' (funded by the Commission for the Promotion of Research and Training at the FU Berlin, project director Dietrich Herzog)

 

1987-1989

Research project ''Industry and environmental protection'' recognized as project of the Central Institute for Social Research" at the FU Berlin

 

1988-1993

Research project "MPs: Role and communication in the representative democracy of Germany" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), co-director with Dietrich Herzog)

 

1989-1994

Research project ''Beliefs in government", subgroup "Internationalization of governance" (funded by the European Science Foundation, program directors Max Kaase, Ken Newton).

 

1990-1994

Research project "The future of Berlin" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project directors Nils Diederich, Lutz Erbring, Hans-Dieter Klingemann)

 

1990-1994

"Comparative national election project, CNEP", German study group (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project managers Max Kaase, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Franz Urban Pappi).

 

1991-1997

Research project "Political Representation in Comparative Perspective" (project convener Warren Miller)

 

1991-1994

Research project "Political culture, political and economic orientations in central and eastern Europe during transition to democracy" (coordinator Samuel Barnes).

 

1993-1999

Research project "Political representation in Europe" in conjunction with the European Election Study (EES) 1994, (co-coordinator with Richard Katz, Pippa Norris, Jacques Thomassen).

 

1994-1998

Research project "Abstention, voter migration and political issues (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project managers Lutz Erbring, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Richard Stoess).

 

1994-1996

"Post election study of the federal elections in Germany, 1994” (in co-operation with the research professorship "Comparing democratic systems (WZB) and ZUMA, Mannheim, member of the project group)

 

1994-

Research project "The comparative study of electoral systems (CSES) “, member of the project group.

 

1995-1998

Research project "Intermediary organizations and political participation" (funded by the Fritz Thyssen foundation, applicant and co-director with Hans Dieter Klingemann)

 

1995-1998

Research project "Macro structures in OECD countries and political performance, 1945-1990"

 

 

1995-1996

Research project "Local elites and local democracy", international research group "Democracy and local governance" (with Thomas R. Cusack)

 

1995-1997

Research project "European parliament and political representation" (funded by the German Science Foundation, DFG, applicant and project director)

 

1998-1999

Research project "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 1998" in conjunction with  the "Comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)" (in co-operation of WZB; the Central Archive for Empirical Social Research (ZA), Cologne; the Center for Survey Research, Methods and Analyses (ZUMA), Mannheim); and the University of Mannheim (coordinator with Hermann Schmitt))

 

1998-2002

Research program "Political representation and party choice in the European Union", training and mobility of researchers program (TMR) of the European Commission, representative of the WZB knot together with Hans Dieter Klingemann.

 

1998-2003

European Election Study 1999, member of the project group

 

1999-2001

"MPs in Europe: conceptions of political order and co-operation in the European Union" (funded by the German Science Foundation, DFG, applicant and project director)

 

2000-2002

Research project "The consolidation of democracy in central and eastern Europe" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG) co-applicant with Dieter Fuchs, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Edeltraud Roller)

 

2002-2003

Research project "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 2002" in conjunction with  the "Comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project director and co-applicant with Hermann Schmitt, University of Mannheim)

 

2002-2004

Research project "Towards a European Civil Society (CiSoNet)" (WZB project, funded by the European Commission, member of the project group)

 

2003-

"European citizenship and multiple identities", member of the drafting group for an integrated project in the context of the 6. framework program of the European Union, WZB project

 

2004-2007

European Election Study 2004, member of the project group

 

5/2004-2008

CONNEX, Network of Excellence, 6th framework program of the EU, individual member

 

2005-2007

Research project "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 2005" in conjunction with the "Comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)" (funded by the WZB, in cooperation with the research unit “Inequality and Social Integration”), project director

 

2005 - 2011

Quality of Democracy - Democracy Barometer for Established Democracies, NCCR Democracy, University of Zurich, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation

 

2007 – 2009

Denationalization of Problem Perceptions. Survey-based research project in cooperation of the research unit „Democracy“and the research unit „Transnational Conflicts and International Institutions“ of the WZB.

 

2008 – 2011

PIREDEU, FP7 Project, funded by the European Commission, principle investigator, project component „European Candidate Study“

 

2009-2017

German Longitudinal Election Study (GLES), long-term fund by the German Science Foundation. Co-applicant with Hans Rattinger, Sigrid Rossteutscher, and Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck, project director

 

 

Professional activities

 

 

1983-1989

Member of the working group on methods of the department of political science at the FU Berlin.

 

1985-1991

Member of the international research group on "Politics and Business in Western Democracies", International Political Science Association (IPSA).

 

1988-1989

IT delegate of the Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin.

 

12/1988-9/1989

Member of the advisory board of the institute for computer science, FU Berlin.

 

7/1993-10/1999

Speaker (elected) of the working group "Interest groups" of the German Political Science Association (DVPW)

 

1993-

Member (elected) of the scientific council of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), re-elected 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007

 

1993-

Member of ICORE (The International Committee for Research into Elections and Representative Democracy).

 

1994-

Scientific correspondent of the Revue International de Politique Comparée

 

6/1997 - 12/2001

Speaker (elected) of the scientific council of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)

 

1997-

Member of the co-ordination group of the German national election study (Deutsche Wahlstudie, DWS)

 

1998 - 2000

Member of the research program commission of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)

 

1998 - 1999

Member of the appointment commission for the position of a director in the research area of economics at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)

 

1998 - 2003

Member (elected) of the Planning Committee of the "Comparative Study of Electoral Systems'' (CSES), module II

 

2003 -

Member (elected) of the Planning Committee of the "Comparative Study of Electoral Systems'' (CSES), module III

 

2007

Member of the selection committee for a guest professorship at the Technical University of Berlin

 

2007

Member of the selection committee for a junior professorship at the University of Lunenburg (Leuphania)

 

2007 - 2008

Member of the Kuratorium (board of trustees) of the WZB

 

1/2007 -

Founding member of the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wahlforschung), member of the founding board of directors

 

12.7.2007 -

Member of the executive committee of the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW)

 

20.7.2007 -

Member of the board of directors of the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW),
Vice-President

 

Dec. 2007 - 2011

Member of the steering committee of the PIREDEU FP7 project

 

2008 -

Member of the scientific advisory board of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna (IHS)

 

2009 -

Member of the scientific advisory board of the Austrian National Election Study (AUTNES)

 

 

Research funds

 

 

1995 - 1998

Fritz Thyssen Foundation, "Intermediary organizations and political participation" co-applicant with Hans Dieter Klingemann

 

1995 - 1997

German Science Foundation (DFG)
"European parliament and political representation"

 

1999 - 2001

German Science Foundation
"MPs in Europe: conceptions of political order and co-operation in the European Union"

 

2000 - 2002

German Science Foundation (DFG)
"The consolidation of democracy in central and eastern Europe", co-applicant with D. Fuchs, H.-D. Klingemann, and E. Roller

 

2002 - 2003

German Science Foundation (DFG)
"Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 2002", co-applicant with Hermann Schmitt, University of Mannheim

 

2008 - 2011

EU, FP7: “Providing an Infrastructure for Research on Electoral Democracy in the European Union” (PIREDEU)

 

2009 - 2017

German Science Foundation, (DFG), “German Longitudinal Election Study”, long-term fund, co-applicant with Hans Rattinger, Sigrid Rossteutscher, and Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck

 

 

Reviews/evaluations for

 

 

Journals

British Journal of Political Science (BJPS); Comparative Political Studies (CPS); Comparative Politics (CP); Czech Sociological Review (CSR); European Union Politics (EUP); German Politics; Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS); Journal of Economics; Journal of Electoral Studies (JEL); Journal of Legislative Studies (JLS); Journal of Politics (JOP); Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie (KfZSS); Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft (OEZP); Politische Vierteljahresschrift (PVS); Political Analysis (PA); Political Behavior; Political Studies; West European Politics (WEP); World Politics (WP); Zeitschrift für Politik; Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft (ZfP); Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft (ZfVP)

 

Research funding

German Science Foundation (DFG)

Dutch Social Science Research Council

Swiss National Science Foundation (FNSNF)

Fritz Thyssen Foundation

Excellence Promotion in Research, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

 

 

 

Memberships

 

 

German Political Science Association (DVPW)

 

German society for parliamentary research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Parlamentsfragen, DVParl)

 

American Political Science Association (APSA)

 

German Society for Election Research (DGfW)

 

 

Research interests

 

 

Comparative politics, interest intermediation and political representation, political attitudes and political behavior.