Despite its complex nature, identity is of great relevance for social and political life. The more we seek to understand the causes and consequences of social change for politics, the more the dual character of identity as both an individual and collective phenomenon has proven to open up new perspectives in political science research. Therefore, exploration of identity is a promising and necessary strand of research in political science, which has a potential of crossing interdisciplinary boundaries. The ECPR Standing Group on Identity wishes to encourage social scientists of varying perspectives, distinct theoretical approaches and different methods to learn from each other by sharing their insights into the identity phenomenon and its impact on social and political life.

The Standing Group on Interest Groups aims to facilitate and stimulate research on civil society, social movement organisations, business political activity, and lobbying, at all levels (local, regional, national, European and global). Membership of the Standing Group is open to everyone who is interested in cumulative research on any of these topics. While the Standing Group functions largely as a forum and an exchange network for interest group researchers, its activities include workshops, conferences and summer schools as well as facilitating communication among members through a mailing list.

International Political Theory (IPT) encompasses, broadly, the field of political theory and philosophy as it pertains to the study of global, international and transnational relations. Open to various theoretical perspectives and methodologies, this field studies questions concerning the philosophical and normative grounding, as well as the ideational history and political development, of global, international and transnational agents, institutions, structures and practices. Themes include the rights and duties of individuals and groups in a transnational context; the concept of human rights; the moral standing, rights and duties of states in international society; state sovereignty; the self-determination of peoples; international law; global distributive justice; migration; just war and the ethics of the use of force across borders; historical injustice in international and transnational relations; and principles of environmental justice. The Standing Group aims to have a dedicated IPT Section at every ECPR General Conference, and provide guidance and support to members bidding for ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops or Research Sessions proposals.

The ECPR Standing Group on International Relations (SGIR) seeks to facilitate the exchange of ideas, experience and findings in the field of international relations, to strengthen the discipline of International Relations within European academic institutions and to improve research and teaching in international relations. 

The Internet and Politics Standing Group promotes research and policy-oriented debate about the politics of the internet by contributing and supporting the activities taking place within the ECPR. It facilitates the organisation of Workshops on topics at the ECPR Joint Sessions, Sections and Panels at the ECPR General Conferences, and other activities within the framework of the ECPR. Membership of the Group is open to any scholar with an interest in internet politics broadly defined. Participation from Ph.D. students is particularly encouraged.

The Kantian Political Thought Standing Group (KSG) is an international network of academics that acknowledge the increasing importance of Kantian approaches today. Their research aims both to understand better the works of Kant and Kantian theorists, and to examine the various attempts to criticise and overcome the Kantian tradition. A distinctive feature of the KSG is a broad focus going beyond political theory and examining issues in ethics, epistemology, legal theory, anthropology, aesthetics, philosophy of religion and of history, as well as in other empirical disciplines and social sciences, in order to offer theoretical and practical answers to current political problems.

Supporting research in the emerging field of knowledge and governance. There is a growing body of scholarship in political science and IR exploring the relationship between science/knowledge and governance/politics/policy-making. Knowledge and Governance provides a forum for networking, training and support of research in this area, covering such topics as: the role of ideas in policy-making, the political uses of science, expertise and knowledge, the social construction of policy problems and responses, monitoring and measurement of policy performance, the transnationalisation of knowledge networks, the politics and ethics of the 'participatory turn' and knowledge democratisation and studies of the tools, actors and organisations involved in the production and utilisation of knowledge in policymaking.

This Standing Group brings together scholars whose work relates to the deeply interconnected fields of higher education, research, and innovation to encourage debates and research on the politics and policies in these areas (knowledge politics and policies). Over the past decades, several developments have contributed to the growing political significance of higher education, research, and innovation in international, regional, and national arenas. First, the steady trend towards the massification of higher education throughout the world implies that more and more of the world’s population is engaging in tertiary education. This has led to both increased public and private investments in the sector, as well as politically salient discussions concerning access and quality (excellence). Second, the turn towards ‘knowledge’ as providing policy solutions to grand societal challenges has placed higher education, research, and innovation at the centre stage of ‘smart’ multi‐level policymaking. And third, the economies and societies of today are described as ‘knowledge-based’ that draw their competitive advantage from well‐functioning knowledge sectors.

In recent years Latin American scholarly literature has produced major theoretical and methodological innovations in numerous sub-literatures of comparative politics (such as presidentialism, legislatures, government coalitions, indigenous politics, elections, sub-national politics and comparative political economy). The Standing Group on Latin American Politics encourages scholars to engage themselves with this trend, both through Sections at the General Conference and summer schools on Latin American Politics.

Judicial bodies as the third branch of political systems play an increasingly important role in contemporary politics in every part of the world and in the concepts of comparative politics. In spite of this importance, research about Constitutional Courts and Judicial Politics in Western and Eastern Europe is under-developed compared to the US where one finds very regular and lively debates. The aim of the group is to gather researchers in order to achieve a better understanding of the role of domestic and international courts and Judicial Politics and to fill the existing research gap. The group should be helpful in stimulating the judicial politics field regarding research issues theory, methods and data.

The ECPR Standing Group on Local Government and Politics promotes research among European and other scholars in the field of local politics, democracy, governance and administration. The Standing Group has a particular interest in supporting comparative research. It functions as a network of scholars and PhD students but also welcomes practitioners interested in research in the field. It endorses Sections and Panels at ECPR General Conferences and workshops at the Joint Sessions, provides information about upcoming conferences and other events, and reports on new publications. The Standing Group also endorses an annual Summer School for doctoral students on local government and politics.

The ECPR Mediterranean Politics and Society Research Network (MEDNET) brings together a wide range of scholarly activities and events focusing on the Mediterranean region. It is a research network for academics from Europe, the Mediterranean region and the wider world. We promote the study of the contemporary Mediterranean world from a plurality of disciplinary fields, including politics, sociology, anthropology, economy, international relations, religious studies, and human geography.