Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung

Tyranny of the Minority

In their new book, WZB Director Daniel Ziblatt and his co-author Steven Levitsky analyse strategies of the political right and where there is a need for reform of the American constitution.

In a moving prize ceremony Economist Daron Acemoglu was honoured with the A.SK Social Science Award 2023. Filiz Garip and Stefanie Stantcheva have received “A.SK Bright Mind Awards”.

Bild von Menschen bei einer Abstimmung im Garten

Liberal democratic systems lead to a permanent increase in economic growth. In their study, Vanessa Boese-Schlosser and Markus Eberhardt show which democratic institutions make this effect possible.

Zwei Kabel im Sand, die durchgeschnitten sind.

How does internet access and its disruption influence electoral conduct under authoritarian governments? A study by Lisa Garbe, using Uganda as an example.

A new study explores the gender gap in college aspirations and enrollment among high school students in Germany.

In their new book, WZB Director Daniel Ziblatt and his co-author Steven Levitsky analyse strategies of the political right and where there is a need for reform of the American constitution.

In a moving prize ceremony Economist Daron Acemoglu was honoured with the A.SK Social Science Award 2023. Filiz Garip and Stefanie Stantcheva have received “A.SK Bright Mind Awards”.

Liberal democratic systems lead to a permanent increase in economic growth. In their study, Vanessa Boese-Schlosser and Markus Eberhardt show which democratic institutions make this effect possible.

How does internet access and its disruption influence electoral conduct under authoritarian governments? A study by Lisa Garbe, using Uganda as an example.

A new study explores the gender gap in college aspirations and enrollment among high school students in Germany.

The WZB

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center investigates fundamental societal issues. Our focus is on education and work, markets and choice, migration, democracy and autocracy, international politics and law. At the WZB researchers from various disciplines work together – mainly from sociology, political science, economics, law and psychology.

Working at the WZB

The WZB offers a modern working environment, where both equal opportunities and the compatibility of work and family are highly valued. Find out more about it here.

WZB-Mitteilungen

Prices

What does our safety cost? Good care? Mobility? Hardly anything comes for free; our society is based on exchange and performance. What everyone gets is usually regulated by prices. Prices determine who can afford what. And if certain goods - such as education - are not to be valued in monetary terms, other mechanisms of value assessment must be found.

The September issue of WZB-Mitteilungen is devoted to the value we assign to things, conditions and services. Not only economists can contribute to the topic of "prices", but all those who deal with questions of distribution in society.

Läuferin auf dem Tempelhofer Feld joggt der Sonne entgegen

Joerg Brueggemann / OSTKREUZ

Starting from considerations of whether liberal freedom has a price, Michael Zürn turns in his essay to two much-discussed theoretical models of freedom: positive and negative freedom. What does the liberal understanding of freedom mean for liberal thinking in times of climate change? What are its implications for the political practice of liberal democratic societies?

Evangelische Kinderkrippe Feldmoching der Inneren Mission Muenchen

Erol Gurian/laif

How are goods distributed in markets without prices? Some municipalities use centralised allocation procedures for nursery and secondary school places. In his contribution, Christian Basteck addresses the question of what strategic considerations the algorithm of these procedures requires on the part of the users and whether incentives are given to communicate false preferences for strategic motives.

Individual experiences suggest that we are more willing to lend someone a helping hand than to give money. But why is that? Max Peukert spoke with the economist Hande Erkut, who investigated the varying degrees of willingness to help.

News

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30 Nov 2023

Statement by the WZB

The WZB has taken note of Professor Keane's open letter, published on the platform X, and his decision contained therein to discontinue his honorary affiliation with the WZB. We regret that a long-standing successful collaboration ends on a low note. The WZB values a collegial, supportive environment, where a diversity of views can be held, and where you can raise unpopular positions without expectations of adverse consequences.

22 Nov 2023

New Research Hub: Lab²

Maximilian Peukert

In order to make research practices more transparent and improve scientific standards, WZB researcher Levent Neyse and Anna Dreber Almenberg are launching the "Lab²" project at the WZB. Lab² establishes an international network of experimental laboratories that carry out replication and meta-science studies. The Leibniz Association is funding the project with one million euros.

12 Oct 2023

Two Logics of Autocratic Rule

David Ausserhofer

In his book "The Two Logics of Autocratic Rule" WZB researcher Johannes Gerschewski addresses the stability of autocracies and identifies three conditions for the survival of autocracies.

(Un)Solvable Problems?

Our society is facing many challenges: the loss of trust in politics, doubts about democratic processes, climate change, demographic upheaval, wars, loss of wealth and increased social inequality. The problems are becoming increasingly complex, and there are no simple solutions. All of this creates uncertainty.

In our online series “(Un)Solvable Problems?” WZB researchers discuss social science perspectives on the challenges of our times every Friday, 9 am, until 8 December 2023. You can listen to all events on our blog.