Political Science II: International Politics

International politics analyzes how conflicts between states, international organizations, societal and economic actors emerge and are resolved. Analyzing processes of conflict resolution, it focuses on the interplay of different levels of action: global, international, regional, national and even sub-national. Issues such as power, legitimacy and the effectiveness of international institutions, but also the conditions of inequality in the transnational space are at the center of research.

The chair’s curriculum covers the entire spectrum of international relations. In the course of the undergraduate degree program “Political Science, Administrative Studies and Sociology”, students are first familiarized with the central subjects of the field. The program also provides an overview of the main theories of international relations—realism, liberalism, constructivism as well as critical perspectives. These analytical perspectives are then applied with an emphasis on international organizations, world regions, problems of international political economy, but also military and security policy. The graduate degree program “Governance” focuses on questions of transnational governance, peace and conflict research, European environmental policy and problems of international division of labor.

Our researchers are currently working on different aspects of international political economy. Research topics include the EU’s role in international economic and financial institutions, negotiations between international organizations, creditor and debtor countries over the course of the recent financial crisis, the transformation of national political economies in the context of globalization as well as the development and transformation of the European Central Bank.