Prof. Dr. Thomas Zittel

Former project director
Zittel [at] soz.uni-frankfurt.de
Phone: 
+49 69 798-36678
Phone: 
+49-621-181-2842
Postal Address
Goethe-University Frankfurt
60629  Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Visiting Address
Goethe-University Frankfurt
Fachbereich Gesellschaftswissenschaften, Campus Westend - PEG
60629  Frankfurt am Main

Research Interests

  • normative and empirical theories of democracy
  • comparative politics (emphasis on Germany and the US)
  • political representation
  • policy analysis (environmental policy)
  • political communication

Projects

RP9 B2 Contexts for Democratic Governance: Political Institutions

RP9
Personal Campaign Strategies and Political Representation

RP7 B2 Contexts for Democratic Governance

Electoral Systems and Party Personnel: The Consequences of Reform and Non-Reform

RP6 B1 Democracy and Citizenship

Parliaments, Representative Government and New Electronic Media Environments: An International Comparison

RP6 B3 Democracy and Multi-Level Governance

Network of Excellence on "Efficient and Democratic Governance in a Multi-level Europe" (CONNEX)

Publications

(Note: Generally, the former staff pages only feature publications that have been published at the MZES. Furthermore, the former staff pages feature publications that have been published in co-authorship with current MZES staff.)

Monographs

Zittel, Thomas (2010): Mehr Responsivität durch neue digitale Medien? Die elektronische Wählerkommunikation von Abgeordneten in Deutschland, Schweden und den USA. Baden-Baden: Nomos. [Kommunikation in Politik und Wirtschaft; 2] more

Editions

Zittel, Thomas, and Dieter Fuchs (Eds.) (2007): Participatory Democracy and Political Participation: Can Participatory Engineering Bring Citizens Back In?. London u.a.: Routledge. [Routledge ECPR studies in European political science; 48] more
Kaiser, André, and Thomas Zittel (Eds.) (2004): Demokratieentwicklung und Demokratietheorie. Festschrift für Peter Graf Kielmansegg. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. more

Journal Articles

Bol, Damien, Thomas Gschwend, Thomas Zittel and Steffen Zittlau (2021): The Importance of Personal Vote Intentions for the Responsiveness of Legislators: A Field Experiment. European Journal of Political Research, 60, issue 2, pp. 455-473. more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2018): Who brings home the pork? Parties and the role of localness in committee assignments in mixed-member proportional systems. Party Politics, 24, issue 5, pp. 488-500. more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2015): Do constituency candidates matter in German Federal Elections? The personal vote as an interactive process. Electoral Studies, 39, issue September, pp. 338-349. more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Entmedialisierung durch Neue Digitale Medien? Direkte Wählerkommunikation im WWW aus der Sicht von Abgeordneten des Deutschen Bundestages. Politische Vierteljahresschrift Sonderheft: "Politik in der Mediendemokratie", issue 42, pp. 366-389. more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Lost in Technology? Political Parties and the Online Campaigns of Constituency Candidates in Germany’s Mixed Member Electoral System. Journal of Information Technology and Politics, issue 6, pp. 298–311. more
Zittel, Thomas, and Thomas Gschwend (2008): Individualised Constituency Campaigns in Mixed-Member Electoral Systems: Candidates in the 2005 German Elections. West European Politics, 31, issue 5, pp. 879-1003. more
Zittel, Thomas, and Thomas Gschwend (2007): Individualisierte Wahlkämpfe im Wahlkreis. Eine Analyse am Beispiel des Bundestagswahlkampfes von 2005. Politische Vierteljahresschrift, 48, issue 2, pp. 293-321. more
Wüst, Andreas M., Hermann Schmitt, Thomas Gschwend and Thomas Zittel (2006): Candidates in the 2005 Bundestag Election: Mode of Candidacy, Campaigning and Issues. German Politics, 15, issue 4, pp. 420-438. more
Zittel, Thomas (2005): Die amerikanische Präsidentschaftswahl von 2004: Szenen eines Kulturkampfes. Geographische Rundschau, 57, issue 1, pp. 59-64. more
Zittel, Thomas (2003): Political Representation in the Networked Society: The Americanisation of European Systems of Responsible Party Government?. Journal of Legislative Studies, 9, issue 3, pp. 32-53. more
Zittel, Thomas (2001): Elektronische Demokratie - Planskizze für eine Demokratie des 21.Jahrhunderts?. Neue Politische Literatur, issue 3, pp. 433-470. more
Zittel, Thomas (2000): Elektronische Demokratie - ein Demokratietypus der Zukunft?. Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen, 31, issue 4, pp. 1-23. more

Book Chapters

Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2012): Machen Wahlkreiskandidaten einen Unterschied? Die Persönlichkeitswahl als interaktiver Prozess. Pp. 371-392 in: Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck (Ed.) Wählen in Deutschland. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag. more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2011): Machen Wahlkreiskandidaten einen Unterschied? Die Persönlichkeitswahl als interaktiver Prozess. Pp. 371-392 in: Wählen in Deutschland. Baden-Baden: Nomos. more
Zittel, Thomas, and Eric M. Uslaner (2009): Comparative Legislative Behavior. Pp. 392–408 in: Robert E. Goodin (Ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Political Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press. more
Zittel, Thomas (2008): Participatory Engineering: Promises and Pitfalls. Pp. 119-144 in: Beate Kohler-Koch, Dirk De Bièvre, William A. Maloney (Eds.) Opening EU-Governance to Civil Society - Gains and Challenges. Mannheim. more
Zittel, Thomas (2007): Conclusion: can participatory engineering bring citizens back in?. Pp. 223-228 in: Thomas Zittel, Dieter Fuchs (Eds.) Participatory Democracy and Political Participation. Can participatory engineering bring citizens back in?. London, New York: Routledge. more
Zittel, Thomas, and Dieter Fuchs (2007): Introduction: democratic reform and political participation. Pp. 1-5 in: Thomas Zittel, Dieter Fuchs (Eds.) Participatory Democracy and Political Participation. Can participatory engineering bring citizens back in?. London, New York: Routledge. more
Zittel, Thomas (2007): Participatory democracy and political participation. Pp. 9-28 in: Thomas Zittel, Dieter Fuchs (Eds.) Participatory Democracy and Political Participation. Can participatory engineering bring citizens back in?. London, New York: Routledge. more
Zittel, Thomas (2006): Comparative Legislative Behavior. Pp. 455–473 in: Rod A.W. Rhodes, Sarah Binder, Bert Rockman (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Political Institutions. Oxford: Oxford University Press. more
Zittel, Thomas (2005): What can the Vep model do for democracy? ... in answer to Alexander Trechsel. Pp. 51-56 in: Reflections on the Future of Democracy in Europe. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. more
Zittel, Thomas, and André Kaiser (2004): Demokratietheorie und Demokratieentwicklung: Fragestellungen im Werk von Peter Graf Kielmansegg. Pp. 9-18 in: André Kaiser, Thomas Zittel (Eds.) Demokratietheorie und Demokratieentwicklung. Festschrift für Peter Graf Kielmansegg. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): Digital Parliaments and Electronic Democracy: A comparison between the US House, the Swedish Riksdag, and the German Bundestag. Pp. 70-95 in: Andrea Römmele, Stephen J. Ward (Eds.) Electronic Democracy. Mobilisation, Participation and Organisation via new ICTs. London: Routledge. more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): Partizipative Demokratie und Politische Partizipation. Pp. 55-74 in: André Kaiser, Thomas Zittel (Eds.) Demokratietheorie und Demokratieentwicklung. Festschrift für Peter Graf Kielmansegg. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): Political Communication and Electronic Democracy. American Exceptionalism or Global Trend?. Pp. 231 - 250 in: Frank Esser, Barbara Pfetsch (Eds.) Comparing Political Communication. Theories, Cases, and Challenges. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. more
Zittel, Thomas (2003): Elektronische Demokratie - ein alternatives Modell zur liberalen Demokratie?. Pp. 175 - 193 in: Karl Schmitt (Ed.) Herausforderungen der repräsentativen Demokratie. Baden-Baden: Nomos. more
Zittel, Thomas (2003): Vernetzte politische Kommunikation: Elektronische Demokratie als amerikanischer Sonderweg?. Pp. 259-280 in: Barbara Pfetsch, Frank Esser (Eds.) Politische Kommunikation im internationalen Vergleich. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag. more
Zittel, Thomas (2001): Electronic Democracy and Electronic Parliaments: A Comparison between the US House, the Swedish Riksdagen, and the German Bundestag. Pp. 22-41 in: Peter Filzmaier (Ed.) Internet und Demokratie. Wien: Studienverlag. more
Zittel, Thomas (2001): Elektronische Demokratie durch Elektronische Parlamente?. Pp. 171-197 in: Reinhard Meier-Walser, Thilo Hart (Eds.) Politikwelt Internet - Neue demokratische Beteiligungschancen mit dem Internet?. München: Olzog Verlag. more

Thesis

Zittel, Thomas (2007): Demokratie und Internet – Mehr Responsivität durch neue digitale Medien?. Mannheim: Universität Mannheim. more

Papers / Reports

Zittel, Thomas (2005): Direkte Personalisierte Wählerkommunikation im WWW - Wunsch, Wirklichkeit und Perspektiven. Gutachten im Auftrag des Deutschen Bundestages. Vorgelegt dem Büro für Technikfolgen-Abschätzung (TAB). Mannheim more

Conference Presentations

Zittel, Thomas, and Thomas Gschwend (2016): Who brings home the pork? Committee Assignments under Germany's Mixed System. [44th ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, Pisa, April 24th to April 28th, 2016] more
Bol, Damien, Thomas Gschwend, Thomas Zittel and Steffen Zittlau (2015): The Electoral Source of Good Government: A Field Experiment on German MPs. [5th Annual General Conference of the European Political Science Association, Vienna, June 25th to June 27th, 2015] more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2015): Who brings home the pork? The role of electoral context and localness in assigning committee seats in the German Bundestag. [9th ECPR General Conference, Université de Montréal, August 26th to August 29th, 2015] more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2015): Who brings home the pork? The role of electoral context and localness in assigning committee seats in the German Bundestag. [111th Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco, CA, September 03rd to September 06th, 2015] more
Bol, Damien, Thomas Zittel and Thomas Gschwend (2013): The impact of the Electoral Context on Personal Vote Strategies: A Field Experiment on German Legislators. [7th ECPR General Conference, Sciences Po, Bordeaux, September 04th to September 07th, 2013] more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2011): Do Constituency Candidates Matter in German Federal Elections? The Personal Vote as an Interactive Process. [1st Annual General Conference of the European Political Science Association, Dublin, June 16th to June 18th, 2011] more
Gschwend, Thomas, Matthew S. Shugart and Thomas Zittel (2009): Assigning Committee Seats in Mixed-Member Systems - How Important is “Localness” compared to the Mode of Election?. [ECPR General Conference, Potsdam, September 10th to September 12th, 2009] more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Demokratie und Partizipation in Deutschland - Von der Wahl- zur Beteiligungsdemokratie. [European Conference on „Democracy and Participation – Political Attachments in Decline?, Foundation Genshagen, May 16th, 2009] more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Electronic Constituency Communication in Comparative Perspective: Changing Media or Changing Democracy?. [ECPR Conference 2009 Joint Sessions of Workshops, University Lissabon, April 14th to April 19th, 2009] more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Elektronische Wählerkommunikation von Abgeordneten. Deutschland, USA und Schweden im Vergleich. [Departmental Seminar, Department of Political Science, Johannes-Gutenberg University Mainz, July 08th, 2009] more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Legislators and their Representational Roles. Rational Calculus or Habits of the Heart?. [Workshop on Political Representation organized by the NCCR Democracy Research Program, University of Berne, November 12th to November 13th, 2009] more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Legislators and their Representational Roles. Rational Calculus or Habits of the Heart?. [Annual Meeting of the DVPW-Section „Comparative Politics“, TU Darmstadt, January 22nd to January 24th, 2009] more
Zittel, Thomas (2009): Legislators and their Representational Roles. Rational Calculus or Habits of the Heart? and Local Campaigns in the German 2005 Elections: Motivations, Structures and Effects. [2009 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Toronto, September 03rd to September 06th, 2009] more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2008): Presentation of Country Database Issues: Germany. [Workshop on “Electoral Systems and Party Personnel, Del Mar, CA, August 25th to August 27th, 2008] more
Gschwend, Thomas, and Thomas Zittel (2007): Individualisierte Wahlkämpfe im Wahlkreis: Eine Analyse am Beispiel des Bundestagswahlkampfes von 2005. [Wahlen und Repräsentation im politischen System der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Köln, March 26th, 2007] more
Zittel, Thomas, and Thomas Gschwend (2006): Der Bundestagswahlkampf von 2005 und Kollektive Repräsentation: Ein kurzer Auftakt zum langen Abschied. [Gemeinsame Tagung der DVPW-Arbeitskreise "Politik und Kommunikation", "Wahlen und Einstellungen" und "Parteienforschung", Berlin, July 19th to July 20th, 2006] more
Zittel, Thomas (2006): Participatory Engineering: Can Reform increase the Quantity and Quality of Political Participation?. [Workshop on "Research on Democracy in Practice", Florence, December 14th to December 15th, 2006] more
Zittel, Thomas, and Thomas Gschwend (2006): Personalisierte Wahlkämpfe im Wahlkreis. Eine Analyse des Bundestagswahlkampfes von 2005. [3-Länder-Tagung "Politik und Persönlichkeit" der ÖGPW - SVPW - DVPW, Vienna, November 30th to December 02nd, 2006] more
Zittel, Thomas (2005): Participatory Engineering: Can Democratic Reform increase Political Participation?. [Annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC, August 31st to September 04th, 2005] more
Zittel, Thomas (2005): Personalisierte Wählerkommunikation im Deutschen Bundestag. [Fachgespräch im Deutschen Bundestag zum Thema Elektronische Parlamente auf Einladung der Vizepräsidentin des Deutschen Bundestages Dr. Susanne Kastner, Berlin, February 14th, 2005] more
Zittel, Thomas (2005): Researching Electronic Democracy: Embedded Webanalysis. [Workshop zu Methoden der E-Demokratie Forschung, EUI, Florence, April 28th to April 29th, 2005] more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): American Democracy: A Model for European Integration?. [ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, Workshop Nr. 12: National Traditions of Democratic Theory (Directors: Heidrun Abromeit und Andreas Follesdal)., Universität Uppsala, Uppsala, April 13th to April 18th, 2004] more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): MPs and the Internet - Between the Rock of Technology and the Hard Place of Politics. [Siebte Konferenz der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Europäischen Parlamente zu Themen der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie, Stockholm, October 27th to October 29th, 2004] more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): MPs and the Internet: Between the Rock of Technology and the Hard Place of Politics. [Seventh European Conference of Members of National Parliaments on Information and Communications Technologies., Schwedischer Riksdag, Stockholm, September 27th to September 29th, 2004] more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): What can ICTs do for Democracy?. [Council of Europe Conference: The Future of Democracy, Centro de Convenciones International de Barcelona, Barcelona, November 17th to November 19th, 2004] more
Zittel, Thomas (2004): What can ICTs do for Democracy?. [Fachkonferenz des Europarates, The Future of Democracy, Barcelona, November 17th to November 19th, 2004] more
Zittel, Thomas (2003): Participatory Democracy and Political Participation. [Joint Sessions of Workshops of the European Consortium of Political Research, Edinburgh, March 28th to April 02nd, 2003] more
Zittel, Thomas (2002): Political Representation in the Network Society: The Americanization of European Systems of Responsible Party Government?. [Annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, August 28th, 2002] more