The impact of opposition in established democracies

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Simon Franzmann
• Subject Area: Political Science
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 290380518

How does the opposition influence the government's policy-making in modern democracies? The project aims at solving this research question through the application of nested analysis. Beginning with a large-N analysis, the project proceeds to test hypotheses as to the correlation between institutional veto-points, oppositional patterns, party competition, and the government's policy-making. Based on results of these quantitative studies, then typical and deviant cases are identified. With respect to these case studies, the project integrates assumptions about different analytical levels into an agent-based modelling (ABM) approach in order to improve our explanatory model of oppositional influence. ABM ensures the logical consistency of our theoretical arguments regarding dynamic and complex processes of opposition patterns. It helps identify causal mechanisms underlying correlational empirical patterns. Through the combination of quantitative analysis with ABM guided case studies, the project seeks to expand our knowledge of empirical opposition patterns, as well as the theoretical explanations behind them.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants