URPP Public lecture by Armin Schäfer

Political inequality plays a central role in fueling the appeal of populist movements. When democratic institutions fail to adequately represent the interests of marginalized or less affluent citizens – whether through unequal participation, descriptive underrepresentation, or policy responsiveness skewed toward the better-off – populist actors capitalize on these gaps by positioning themselves as the voice of the unrepresented. Empirical evidence demonstrates that citizens who perceive the political system as unresponsive are significantly more likely to support right-wing populist parties. This suggests that populism thrives not merely on cultural grievances, but on the tangible experience of political exclusion – a condition that would diminish if democracy functioned more equitably.  

This lecture is open to the public.

Date: Monday, May 4, 2026

Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Venue: RAA G-15

Armin Schäfer is Professor of Comparative Politics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany). His research lies at the intersection of comparative political economy, democratic theory, and empirical social science – examining whether democracy can live up to its promise of political equality and what happens when it does not. Armin studied political science and economics in Marburg (DE) and Canterbury (UK) and received his doctorate from the University of Bremen (DE) in 2004. After thirteen years at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and professorships at Osnabrück and Münster, he has been at Mainz since 2022. From 2018 to 2021, he served as president of the German Political Science Association (DVPW).

Take tram 9 or 5 to "Kantonsschule".  The lecture hall is located at Rämistrasse 59 (Asien-Orient-Institut).