About

Kristina Weissenbach (Ph.D. Political Science, 2012, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) is currently an Affiliate Professor for Political Science at the University of Washington. She is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Research Unit at the NRW School of Governance, Institute for Political Science, University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany). She is member of the Steering Committee of the ECPR Standing Group on Political Parties. She headed multiple research projects in the field of political parties, campaigning and political communication in Germany as well as in comparative perspective. Her primary research interests include the organization and institutionalization of (new and digital) political parties, party assistance and institutions in new democracies, the political system of Germany, political communication (esp. disinformation, campaigning and television debates). She is Co-PI of a research group on "The Digitalization of political parties (DIPART)" at the University of Duisburg-Essen (2018-2022). Currently, she is heading research projects on "New Parties in Germany and Europe", on "Highly populated online communities on their route to institutionalized parties" as well as on "The institutionalization of the Europarties". First outcomes are published in the co-authored chapter with Zoe Lefkofridi "The institutionalization of new parties in Greece: (How) does it matte for success? in: Harmel, Robert / Svasand, Lars G. (2019): Institutionalisation of Political Parties. Comparative Cases, ECPR Press/Rowmann&Littlefield, as well as in her co-edited Special Issue of the journal Comparative Governance and Politics (ZfVP) on "Different Worlds of Party Development. Comparative Analyses of the Institutionalization of Political Parties in Democracies".

Research Interests

Europe (Central and Eastern), Civil Society, Comparative Politics, Democratisation, Party Manifestos, Political Participation, Political Parties, Social Movements, Transitional States, Campaign, Internet, Qualitative, Social Media, Communication, Mixed Methods, Party Systems, Southern Europe

Current/Upcoming Events

Standing Groups and Research Networks

• Citizenship
• Comparative Political Institutions
• Democratic Innovations
• Interest Groups
• Internet and Politics
• Knowledge and Governance
• Participation and Mobilisation
• Political Communication
• Political Parties
• Political Representation
• Southern European Politics
• Identity