Dr. Thomas Richter

Lead Research Fellow | Head of Research Programme "Accountability and Participation"

Dr. Thomas Richter

  • Short CV

    • Since 08/2022: Lead Research Fellow and Head of GIGA's Research Programme "Accountability and Participation"
    • 04/2020 - 07/2023: Editor MECAM Papers
    • 10/2018 - 12/2022: Editor GIGA Focus Middle East
    • 04/2018 - 05/2018: IDCAR Visiting Fellow at WZB Berlin in the Research Unit “Democracy and Democratization”
    • 09/2017: Lijphart/Przeworski/Verba Data Set Award, GSRE - Global State Revenues and Expenditures Data Set
    • 2016 - 2018: Coordinator GIGA Forum
    • 2011 - 2015: Speaker of the GIGA Research Team "Persistence and Change in Non-Democratic Regimes" in the Research Programme 1
    • 2013 - 2022: Senior Research Fellow at GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies
    • 2008 - 2013: Research Fellow at GIGA Institute of Middle East Studies
    • 2007 - 2008: PhD-Fellow at BIGSSS Bremer International Graduate School of Social Sciences, University of Bremen (Scholarship of Hans-Böckler Foundation)
    • 2003 - 2007: PhD-Fellow at the GSSS Graduate School of Social Sciences, University of Bremen (Scholarship of Hans-Böckler Foundation)
    • Education: Studies in Political Science, Economics and Islamic Studies at the Eberhard-Karls University Tuebingen and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor); Dissertation „Authoritarian Rule, Material Resources and Foreign Trade Reforms: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan between 1970 and 2003”; 2008: PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) at the University of Bremen (summa cum laude)

    Current Research

    • Executive Personalization
    • Global Political Economy
    • Structural Adjustment and Sectoral Transformation
    • Institutional and Material Determinants of Authoritarian Rule
    • Shrinking Civic Spaces

    Countries and Regions

    • Small Gulf Monarchies
    • Middle East and North Africa

    Memberships

    • American Political Science Association, Membership in discipline-specific association or network, since 2008
    • International Studies Association, Membership in discipline-specific association or network, since 2006
    • German Political Science Association, Membership in discipline-specific association or network, since 2005
    • German Middle East Studies Association for Contemporary Research and Documentation, Membership in region-specific association or network, since 2003
    • German Middle East Studies Association for Contemporary Research and Documentation, Membership in region-specific association or network, since 2000

    Awards

    • Lijphart/Przeworski/Verba Data Set Award 2017, Comparative Politics Section, APSA, 2017

    Dr. Thomas Richter

    Lead Research Fellow / Head of Research Programme "Accountability and Participation"

    T. +49 40 42825-528thomas.richter@giga-hamburg.de

    Studies In Comparative International Development | 02/2024

    Civil Society Under Attack: The Consequences for Horizontal Accountability Institutions

    This manuscript investigates how restrictions on CSOs affect the quality of horizontal accountability institutions like parliaments and courts. Our results imply that a crackdown on CSOs serves as a warning sign of deteriorating horizontal oversight.

    GIGA Working Papers | 01/2024

    Personnel, Institutions, and Power: Revisiting the Concept of Executive Personalisation

    Evidence shows a growing trend of chief executives personalising power in autocracies and democracies. Yet, scholarly focus remains siloed according to regime type. This Working Paper presents an overarching framework on the “Personalisation of Executive Power,” identifying the involved mechanisms.

    Other Report | Universität Hamburg | 12/2023

    Menschen in Deutschland: International (MiDInt): Untersuchungsdesign, Stichprobe, Erhebungsinstrument und Codebuch zu Welle 5 (Oktober 2023): MOTRA-Forschungsbericht No. 13 aus dem Institut für Kriminologie an der Fakultät für Rechtswissenschaft

    Der vorliegende Forschungsbericht beschreibt für die fünfte Welle von MiDInt, die im Oktober und November 2023 stattfand, das Erhebungsdesign, die erreichte Stichprobe, die erhobenen Konstrukte und die dazu verwendeten Messinstrumente. Im Anhang findet sich das Erhebungsinstrument im Wortlaut sowie das Codebuch zum Datensatz, dem die Bezeichnungen der Variablen, deren Inhalt und Codierung entnommen werden können.

    Chapter in Edited Volume | 11/2023

    International Events and Social Media Activities on X (formerly Twitter): Towards the Establishment of a Monitoring Dashboard

    In diesem Beitrag des MOTRA Monitor 2022 wird ein Dashboard zum Monitoring der Einflüsse von internationalen Ereignissen auf Aktivitäten von Nutzern in soziale Medien vorgestellt.

    Julian Hohner

    Simon Greipl

    Heidi Schulze

    Chapter in Edited Volume | 11/2023

    Menschen in Deutschland: International (MiDInt): Ein neues Monitoringinstrument der MOTRA-Familie

    In diesem Beitrag zum MOTRA Monitor 2022 werden die Online-Befragung „Menschen in Deutschland: International“ (MiDInt) vorgestellt und erste Ergebnisse zu Einstellungen gegenüber Flüchtlingen und dem Einfluss von Kriegsangst auf Autokratieakzeptanz präsentiert.

    Research Project | 15/01/2022 - 14/12/2024

    COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA Region

    In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, political leaders reacted by containment measures that, next to combating the spread of the pandemic, also presented a window of opportunity to bolster executives’ personal grasp on power. Personalization of power has been particularly worrying in the Global South where constraints on the chief executives were often already weak prior to the pandemic. This project assesses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the personalization of executive power in 36 countries of the Global South.
    DFG, 2021-2024

    Research Project | 01/04/2020 - 31/03/2023

    Merian Center for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb (MECAM): Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity, Phase I

    The "Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb" (MECAM), founded in 2020, is a platform for regional and international scientific exchange in Tunisia based on the central theme "Imagining Futures - Dealing with Disparity". The centre is located at the renowned Université de Tunis in the Tunisian capital. Its research work focuses on the effects of multidimensional disparity on models, visions and ideas about political, social, economic, and cultural futures.
    BMBF, 2020-2023

    Research Project | 01/12/2019 - 30/11/2024

    Monitoring System and Transfer Platform Radicalisation (MOTRA)

    "Monitoring System and Transfer Platform Radicalization" (MOTRA) is a research association in the context of civil security research (zivile Sicherheitsforschung) funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The project was created as part of the establishment of a top-level research cluster for the early detection, prevention and combating of Islamic extremism and terrorism and will be a central point of contact over a period of five years.
    BMBF, 2019-2024

    Research Project | 01/07/2014 - 30/06/2019

    International Diffusion and Cooperation of Authoritarian Regimes - IDCAR-Network

    In politics and political science alike, the increasing international influence of authoritarian regimes has become a central concern around the globe. From 2014-2019, the IDCAR network brought together some of the most renowned scholars in the field to produce high-level research and, based on this, policy advice and public outreach.
    Leibniz Association, 2014-2019

    ZEIT Online | Mention | 21/04/2023

    Letzte Generation "Sie werden auf unsere Gräber pissen"

    In einem Artikel auf ZEIT online zur "Letzten Generation" wird auf Ergebnisse aus der repräsentativen Umfrage "Menschen in Deutschland: International" zurückgegriffen.

    Deutsche Welle | Quote | 09/01/2021

    Iran und das Ende des Boykotts gegen Katar

    Schwäbische Zeitung | Quote | 21/09/2019

    Warum der Khashoggi-Mord kein Thema mehr ist

    Conference | 07/03/2024 - 08/03/2024

    Ausländer- und Flüchtlingsfeindlichkeit in Deutschland: Erkenntnisse und Trends aus „Menschen in Deutschland: International“

    MOTRA Jahreskonferenz 2024, Hochschule Fresenius, Wiesbaden Janosch Kleinschnittger (Speaker), Dr. Thomas Richter (Speaker)

    In diesem Beitrag wird die Ausprägung von Ausländer- und Flüchtlingsfeindlichkeit seit Jahresbeginn 2023 untersucht. Die Ergebnisse werden kritisch eingeordnet und etwaige Implikationen für Gesellschaft und Politik diskutiert

    Conference | 07/03/2024 - 08/03/2024

    Evaluating Political Stances and Radical Narratives on X (formerly Twitter): A German Politician Sentiment Analysis

    MOTRA Jahreskonferenz 2024, Hochschule Fresenius, Wiesbaden Andrew Crawford (Speaker), Dr. Thomas Richter (Speaker)

    By analysing data from X, this research paints a picture of the German political landscape to gain an insight into trends and patterns of politician stances and emotions relating to certain political.

    Conference | 07/03/2024 - 08/03/2024

    MOTRA-Verbundpräsentation 2024: Einblicke in die aktuelle Forschung

    Der Forschungsverbund "Monitoringsystem und Transferplattform Radikalisierung (MOTRA)" bringt am 7. und 8. März 2024 Vertreter:innen aus Forschung, Politik und Praxis an der Hochschule Fresenius in Wiesbaden für die MOTRA-K #24 zusammen. Die diesjährige Konferenz widmet sich den Transformationen von Extremismus und Intoleranz in Deutschland und Europa.

    Teaching | Leuphana University of Lüneburg | 2018

    Democratization and Authoritarian Resistance

    Leuphana University of Lüneburg Lüneburg Germany

    In this seminar an extensive overview about research and debates on democratization and authoritarianism looking at all World regions will be given. How are democratic and authoritarian political regimes defined and measured? What have been drivers of democratization since World War II and what regional similarities and differences exist? Which political systems around the globe persisted to the rise of democracy? And what are the tools of authoritarian leaders to stay in power? How do we understand and explain the recent resurgence of authoritarian politics? And what does this mean for the future of democracy? The seminar puts special emphasis on regional and international sources of democratization and authoritarian resistance.

    Teaching | Universität Hamburg | 2018

    The Comparative Study of Authoritarian Regimes

    Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany

    In this seminar an extensive overview about research and debates on authoritarianism and authoritarian regimes looking at all World regions will be given. How is authoritarianism and how are authoritarian political regimes defined and measured? What have been the factors (de)stabilizing authoritarian regimes since World War II and what regional similarities and differences exist? In which political systems around the globe non-democratic rule has been maintained until today? And what are the tools of authoritarian leaders to stay in power? How do we understand and explain the recent resurgence of authoritarian politics? And what does this mean for the future of liberal democracy? The seminar puts emphasis on domestic, regional and international elements studying authoritarian regimes across all World regions.

    Teaching | Universität Hamburg | 2017

    Demokratisierung: Theorie, Empirie und Praxis

    Universität Hamburg Hamburg Germany

    Demokratisierung, d.h. die politische Entwicklung hin zur Demokratie oder die Verbesserung der demokratischen Qualität eines politischen Systems ist eine zentrale Entwicklungsdynamik innerhalb von politischen Systemen in allen Weltregionen. Die Beschäftigung mit Demokratisierung, ihren Erfolgsbedingungen und Fehlschlägen sowie den daraus resultierenden Folgen steht seit vielen Jahren auch in der politikwissenschaftlichen Forschung im Mittelpunkt. Seit den 1990-er Jahren ist die Förderung von Demokratisierung zudem zu einem wichtigen Schwerpunkt durch westliche Geber und internationale Organisationen geworden.

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