EXC 2035:  The Politics of Inequality (In_equality)

• Subject Area: Social Sciences
• Term: since 2019
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390681379

Inequality remains one of the most defining and contentious issues of our time. From disparities in wealth and income via access to education and information to the distribution of social and political rights, inequality is ubiquitous and ultimately shaped by politics. This research cluster examines the political causes and consequences of inequality combining insights from political science, sociology, economics and linguistics. We study the politics of inequality from a global perspective covering both democracies and non-democracies. In the first funding period, the main research objective was to understand how citizens perceive inequality, how these perceptions impact political participation, and how both perceptions and participation shape policies, ultimately affecting inequality. This “3Ps feedback cycle” of perceptions, participation and policies constitutes the cluster’s conceptual framework. Along the three elements of the cycle, the key finding of the first phase is a pervasive feedback dynamic of reinforcing inequality. For the next funding phase, the main research objective is to understand the conditions under which this cycle can turn into a dynamic of mitigating inequality. The Research Area (RA) “Perceptions” analyses how people’s reasoning about the causes of inequality affects their attitudinal and behavioural responses to it. For instance, we explore whether individuals who recognise that inequality often stems from non-meritocratic factors exhibit greater solidarity with the disadvantaged. The RA “Participation” investigates the role of inequality in the global resurgence of social movements and the political backlash against policies addressing structural change. One example is to understand the conditions under which climate mitigation policies provoke voter backlash, and how to prevent it. Lastly, the RA “Policies” analyses the tension between short-term and long-term responses to inequality and how policies can mitigate rather than reinforce structural inequalities. For example, we will explain when political actors are willing to forgo short-term political gains in favour of implementing policies that reduce inequality in the long term. In addition, we plan to further develop our collaborative research infrastructure by expanding the Inequality Barometer, establishing the new Inequality Discourse Observatory (IDO) and integrating the Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops (KOMEX) into the cluster. Structurally, the cluster will consolidate and expand its position as a leading international hub for research on the politics of inequality, providing excellent working conditions for researchers at all career stages and from diverse backgrounds. Building on the success of our fellowship programmes and In equality conferences, we will add new types of fellowships and expand our partnerships, particularly in the Global South.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence (ExStra)
• Applicant Institution: Universität Konstanz
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Marius Busemeyer; Professorin Dr. Claudia Diehl; Professorin Dr. Gabriele Spilker
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Sharon Baute, Ph.D.; Professor Christian Breunig, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Miriam Butt; Professorin Christina Felfe, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Sebastian Findeisen; Professor Dr. Urs Fischbacher; Professor Dr. David Garcia Becerra; Professor Dr. Thomas Hinz; Professorin Dr. Anke Hoeffler; Professor Dr. Sebastian Koos; Professor Dr. Florian Kunze; Professorin Dr. Tanja Kupisch; Dr. Thomas Kurer; Professor Dr. Dirk Leuffen; Professor Dr. Theodoros Marinis; Professor Dr. Gerald Schneider; Professorin Dr. Almuth Scholl; Professor Dr. Guido Schwerdt; Professorin Dr. Susanne Strauß; Professorin Dr. Eva Thomann; Professor Dr. Nils B. Weidmann; Professorin Dr. Christina Isabel Zuber