Research at the Chair of International Relations focuses predominantly on policy-making in international governance institutions and the European Union. International and EU institutions are generally conceived of as decision-making systems that provide opportunity structures for actors’ activities. They influence collective outcomes by shaping and constraining member states’ opportunities for action, by providing other (non-state) actors with participation rights and by modifying the pay-offs of available opportunities for action. Starting from a moderate rational choice approach, we seek to integrate ‘constructivist’ factors like arguing, institutional complexity, or organizational autonomy into the analytical framework in order to assess their relevance for institutionalized international governance.
Follow the links below to find descriptions of our ongoing research projects:
