Welcome! I am a comparative political scientist with a background in international and European politics and a keen interest in applied methodology. I work as a Professor of Comparative Politics in the School of Economics and Political Science (SEPS) [»] at the University of St Gallen [»], Switzerland.

In my research I explore the chances and risks that emerge for democracy in a globalized world. Current projects examine citizens' preferences regarding legitimate global governance, the democratic quality of transgovernmental networks, compliance with EU accession conditionality, and the effects of communication technology on authoritarian survival.

Main research areas 

Democracy and democracy promotion * EU external
relations * Globalization and interdependence *
Transgovernmentalism * International socialization.