Our group is fascinated by the interplay of domestic and international politics. In research and teaching, we analyze the driving and hindering forces of European integration and international cooperation. We inquire which factors lead to or impede policy-making as well as norm development in multi-level systems of governance. Our focus is on European politics – a particularly visible field is the study of differentiated integration – but our research also covers other world regions including North and South America as well as Asia. In our research we combine qualitative as well as quantitative approaches and our theory-guided empirical analyses are critically anchored in normative frameworks. For a more detailed introduction to current research projects conducted in our group please consult the main research projects.