WZB - Berlin Social Science Center

Germany’s Grand Coalition has kept most of its promises so far. Fifteen months into the alliance, the government has already tackled over 60% of the plans set out at the beginning of the coalition. But this success has fallen on deaf ears.

The campaign for the primary elections in the United States is hotting up, but observers have long been transfixed by the political situation over the pond. The roots of the fault lines now cracking the surface of American society run deep, as analyzed in the newest edition of the WZB-Mitteilungen.

Donald Trump’s presidency did not come out of the blue. Trumpist ideology can be neatly slotted into the history of American democracy. It is held up by the pillars of nationalism, evangelical Christianity, and an emphasis on ethnic identity, each of which is deeply rooted in the traditions and history of the United States, as Peter J. Katzenstein argues.

On June 19, 800 guests gathered at the Pierre-Boulez Saal for a grand celebration of the WZB’s 50th anniversary. We share some impressions with you.

Anything you can do, I can do better: New research shows we aim higher when we observe our peers being ambitious. In the first ever laboratory experiment to investigate the peer effects of ambition, WZB researchers reveal how we adjust our own goals to match those of our peers, with important implications for educational outcomes and social mobility.