Historical and Comparative Welfare State Research

The working group researches the political-institutional and socio-economic determinants in the development, the expansion, modification and structural form of the welfare state. The focus lies in the wealthy OECD-states as well as the socio-political development in the global south.  

Current research focus includes the influence of the military, war and colonialism on the welfare-state development, the diffusion of social policy in a global perspective, social policy in autocracies, the historical development of the tax state and social policy in Central- and East-European transition countries. In a methodological perspective the research is based on qualitative and macro-quantitative research designs.