{"id":11509,"date":"2025-06-12T17:14:08","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T15:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.zdv.uni-mainz.de\/fb02-theorie-politik\/?page_id=11509"},"modified":"2025-08-26T09:54:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T07:54:19","slug":"profile","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theorie.politik.uni-mainz.de\/en\/research\/profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Profile of the area"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/jgu-base-pageheader>\n

The Department of Political Theory and Public Policy is part of the Department of Political Science. Click here to find out more about the other departments and the program of study at the Department: <\/p>\n\n \n<\/jgu-base-buttonitem>\n\n<\/jgu-base-button>\n

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What is Political Theory?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Political Theory is one of the classic subfields of Political Science. It deals with the scientific-theoretical foundations of political science analysis, with the history and mode of action of political ideas and with instruments for the empirical and normative analysis of political institutions and processes. Without Political Theory, we cannot do Political Science! <\/p>\n\n

Philosophy of science is about thinking about Political Science as a science and understanding the conditions and criteria of scientific knowledge. What distinguishes scientific from non-scientific statements and arguments? When can we claim to have explained connections or justified judgments? <\/p>\n\n

The history of political ideas is concerned with how concepts and ideas emerged in historical contexts and how their use and interpretation changed over time. What did Aristotle or Rousseau mean when they spoke of democracy? How did their ideas shape thinking about democracy and how do they differ from contemporary understandings of democracy? <\/p>\n\n

Empirical (or “positive”) political theories aim to understand and explain the relationships between different characteristics of political actors and institutions and events and developments and, in case of doubt, even make predictions. They develop analytical tools and models to explain, for example, why some countries redistribute more than others. <\/p>\n\n

Normative theories serve to formulate and justify criteria for the evaluation of political institutions, measures and developments. Through the development and systematic application of normative theories, statements about how things should be can be justified. Normative theories are therefore no less relevant to practice than empirical theories. <\/p>\n\n

What does the Research Unit “Political Theory and Public Policy” do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In our Research Unit, we understand empirical and normative questions and theories to be closely linked. Normative theories contain assumptions about empirical conditions and relationships, such as how well informed citizens are about politics and whether they base their voting decisions on their material interests or on the “common good”. Empirical theories use normative concepts such as democracy: if we want to measure democracy and examine its effects on economic development, we must first justify what constitutes a democratic political system. This is not possible without normative standards. <\/p>\n\n

In teaching, we demonstrate the connectivity of Political Theory for empirical research and establish links to current events and political challenges. This also involves the question of how concrete political measures, practices and decisions can be explained and evaluated – this is the link to the topic of “Public Policy”. <\/p>\n\n

In their research, the members of the working group work in particular on questions of democratic theory and democracy research, especially on deliberative democratic theories, representation, democratic innovations and citizen participation.<\/p>\n\n

Organizations and networks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n