Graphic descriptions of the legislative process usually focus on what is going on “in” parliament – while neglecting the preparliamentary phases of bill preparation. But there is a lot of coordination, negotiation and public engagement happening in this less formalized phase. Bringing together the special skills of designers (with an interest in politics) and political…
Coalition negotiations play a key role in government formation, but they have not been analyzed much in detail. In Germany, the past decades have seen an ongoing differentiation of their organization, leading to a complex multi-level negotiation structure with a policy-oriented division of labor. Studying the working group on health policy in the coalition negotiations…
Engaging the public in the work of parliament has been long practiced. To be in close exchange with the people is indeed a precondition for a successful parliament. In recent years, instruments and processes have been developed, tested and compared that institutionalize engagement. A special issues of the Journal of Legislative Studies looks at thoses…
During the latest field trip, a group of students and Sven T. Siefken visited different departments of the Federal Police and other security agencies to discuss current threats and challenges. More about the German Federal Police here: https://www.bundespolizei.de As Or
Simulation games are an innovative way for teaching the logic and dynamics of the political process. Sven T. Siefken and a group of students from different universities participated in the parliamentary simulation that is run by the German Bundestag, going through the parliamentary phases of how a bill becomes a law. More on the simulation…
McGill University in Montreal, Canada, has run an exciting program for new MPs and staff from around the globe. Sven T. Siefken spoke on current political challenges to the German Bundestag, discussing the tension between MPs’ policy specialization versus societal outreach? The presentation gave an overview about how the Bundestag, one of the strongest parliaments…
Are democratic institutions and bureaucracy losing their functionality? This were key topics of a conference held at the Akademie für politische Bildung in Tutzing. Sven T. Siefken gave a talk on informality in politics, analyzing coalition negotiations, expert advisory commissions and coalition management. More about the conference can be found here https://www.apb-tutzing.de/Tagungsprogramme/2023/39-4-23-programm.pdf
The German association for parliamentary affairs (DVParl) held an inspiring meeting and academic discussion in the Bundestag on the changes and challenges for parliamentary communication in times of digital media. More can be found here https://dvparl.de
Based on data compiled for the Global Parliamentary Report, Maya Kornberg and Sven T. Siefken study the role of committee hearings for public engagement by parliaments. They discuss how hearings have evolved and which mechanisms are in use and how new approaches change the practices, for example through digital hearings or field hearings. The article…
The Bundestag has been been running the international scholarship program for young professionals from various parts of the world. Sven T. Siefken delivered an opening presentation on „politics in a parliamentary democracy“ and led the discussion for the 2023 class of participants from various Arabic countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Tunisia, Bahrain, Algeria, Iraqi. More…
Parliaments fullfill a key function in political system of linking society and the political system. The new article by Cristina Leston-Bandeira and Sven T. Siefken explores changes and continuity in how parliaments fulfill engagement, which actors are doing it and what it entails. The article is available open access: Cristina Leston-Bandeira/ Sven T. Siefken (2023):…
The Research Committee of Legislative Specialists is meeting during the 2023 World Congress in Buenos Aires. Organizing various panels it brings together perspectives on Parliamentary Oversight, Second Chambers, Parliamentary Party Groups, Parliaments in the Pandemic, Parliamentary Development. Sven T. Siefken is serving as convenor, panel chair, discussant and paper presenter. More on the panels by…
The initiative “Es geht Los” held a public event at the Humboldt University to present the findings and results of the first six mini public that were organized across Germany in the MP districts. Sven T. Siefken serves on the advisory board of this initiative. More information about the event here and more about the…
The edited volume on Parliamentary Committees in the Policy Process, edited by Sven T. Siefken and Hilmar Rommetvedt, is now available in paperback. It brings together parliamentary experts from around the world to report on the state of knowledge about what is going on in committees and how relevant they really are. More here https://www.routledge.com/Parliamentary-Committees-in-the-Policy-Process/Siefken-Rommetvedt/p/book/9780367617950
Speaking truth to power? Or just symbolizing it? Sharing thoughts on the changing role of expertise in policy making – and how it relates to Parliament, Sven T. Siefken spoke at the International Commission of Jurists, held in the Bundestag. More here
The international collaboration on Parliaments in the Pandemic (PiP) started to gather information on how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced parliaments around the globe. On March 13, it is holding its fourth Academic Workshop, continuing to analyze the data – this time with a special focus on oversight, legislation and parliamentary performance. Sven T. Siefken is…
The Institute for Parliamentary Research (IParl), Berlin, and Sven T. Siefken brought together a large group of scholars for a workshop discussing current threats to parliamentary democracy. The meeting was held at the Reichstag building in an open format to debate the various developments in democracies around Europe and grapple with the question how to…
The American-German Institute (formerly AICGS) hosted a webinar on the ongoing reform of the electoral law in Germany. Boris Herrmann (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and Sven Siefken discussed the details, background and perspectives with Eric Langenbacher (AGI). More here …
During the traditional field trip week of the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences, Sven T. Siefken accompanied a class of students to the Hamburg Inspectorate of the Federal Police. More about the Federal Police of Germany here: https://www.bundespolizei.de
The initiative “Hallo Bundestag” is running mini publics in MP districts – an innovative approach to combine elements of deliberative and representative democracy. Sven T. Siefken is supporting and advising the initiative that is financed by the Robert Bosch foundation, the ZEIT foundation, the Open Society Foundations and the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. More about…
On March 17, the German Bundestag passed the electoral reform bill after heated debate. It will limit the size of parliament at 630 members and uphold the principles of personalized proportional representation. March 16 and 17, Sven T. Siefken participated in a workshop of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, discussing the electoral reform and its consequences.
In March 2023, the Institute for Parliamentary Research held the first IParl Academy for graduate students. As part of the program, Sven T. Siefken discussed with participants what roles parliaments had in crises and how crises are dealt with in parliaments. You can find more about the IParl Academy here https://www.iparl.de/de/forschung/iparl-akademie.html
For the Master’s Program of American Government at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Sven T. Siefken is co-teaching a Comparative Politics class. Students learn about the entire process: From becoming active in politics, to party work, candidate nomination, election and governing. Going broad comparatively and going deep in the formalities and informalities of the German…
„Parliaments in Crises – Crises in Parliaments“ was the title of an international workshop held in Taipei, Taiwan in February 2023. Sven T. Siefken jointly organized the academic program and presented a paper on how parliaments and crises are related.
Sven Siefken discussed the consequences of the recent corruption scandal in the European Parliament for its members and their ways of information gathering. You can hear parts of the interview here at Deutschlandfunk „Europa heute“ (8:30)
The first reading of the reform bill for the electoral law of Germany has been debated in the Bundestag today. Sven T. Siefken discussed with “Die WELT” daily newspaper, if this new law may lead to deserted districts in the future. The complete article is here. In a separate interview, Siefken spoke about topic with…
In its 2023 workshop, the leadership of the parliamentary administration of the Houses of the Oireachtas discussed with Sven T. Siefken what can be learned from the pandemic situation for their own work in future crises – and in „normal“ situations, too
The Research Committees 08 (Legislative Specialists) and 13 (Democratization in Comparative Perspective) of the International Political Science Association jointly set up a conference within the Southern Political Science Association‘s Annual Conference, held January 11 to 14, 2023 at St Pete Beach in Florida. Conference organizers Irina Khmelko (University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, USA), Adam Szymański (University…
Providing redress for maladministration is a key requirement of any legitimate system of public service delivery. During the 6th. International Conference on Public Policy, held in Toronto, Canada, 27-29 June 2023, Eckart Schroeter and Sven T. Siefken organize a panel that explores different ways of holding public authorities and agents of public service delivery accountable….
The European Parliament has been active in supporting and strengthening parliaments around the globe. Looking back at 10 years of activities, the EP Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group organized a high-level-conference in Brussels to discuss experiences and the way forward, November 29 to 30, 2022. Sven T. Siefken participated as an academic commentator. More…
Visiting the Assemblée nationale on the occasion of the price awarded to colleague Calixte Bloquet for their dissertation “On the outskirts of the French Parliament: The Delegation for Women’s Rights”. A grand ceremony, talks with policy makers and parliamentary administrators and the opportunity to watch question time in parliament. More about the prize here.
Sven T. Siefken presented the international research collaboration “Parliaments in the Pandemic” during the workshop “Parliaments, Crisis and Foresight” of the Inter Pares Steering Committee. It was held in Dublin, Ireland. Inter Pares is a project of the European Commission that is implemented by International IDEA. It brings together parliaments from the EU members states and…
Work in the office of a member of parliament is very dynamic and has particular challenges. Teams are small, hierachies flat, changes frequent – and the work is very fast-paced. At the same time, there are important connections to the district office. In a workshop with the entire team of an MP from both offices…
The study abroad program at Colorado College has a long tradition; students spend a few months in Germany, learn the language and take regular classes, too. In 2022, Sven T. Siefken organized a field trip to the Bundestag for the current group of students in Berlin. After an introductory lecture and discussion, the group met…
In the German Studies Association conference in Houston, Texas, Barbara Donovan, Eric Langenbacher and Sven T. Siefken convened a three-day seminar on the “New Challenges to German Politics and Policy”. Scholars from the United States, Canada and Germany presented their research and discussed the findings. Sven T. Siefken presented a paper on Changes or Constitency…
The 2022 class by Sven T. Siefken at Colorado College takes an in-depth look at how people can make a difference in parliamentary politics. In a comparative perspective on the European parliamentary democracies, we study civic culture and political activism, look at candidate nomination and the electoral system and at how to run an election…
In-depth analysis in the international collaboration on “Parliaments in the Pandemic” underway. Based on the expert panel survey (comprising 380 questions), researchers will now analyse how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected parliaments. Nine Working Groups have been installed for the analysis. More about the collaboration on Parliaments in the Pandemic: https://ipsa-rcls.org/pip
The Pandemic posed a double shock for parliaments around the globe; they had to adjust their ways of working to the requirements of infection protection, and they also needed to deal with the prerogative of executive action. In an interview with German newspaper „Das Parlament“, Sven T. Siefken discusses perspectives of parliamentarism in the Covid-19…
“What is Politics …” and “How is Politics …” in the parliamentary democracy of Germany? These were the topics of the opening and the final lectures by Sven T. Siefken in the international internship program of the Deutscher Bundestag. Introducing basic questions and institutions to the over 100 participants in March 2022 and moderating a…
What impact did the pandemic and other crises have on the work of parliaments, both at the member state and the European level? First findings on the topic from various ongoing research projects were brought together in an outreach workshop in Wrocław, Poland, by Professor Aleksandra Maatsch, The Jean Monnet Chair at the Centre for…
In May 2022, the Academy of Sciences organized a workshop Revisiting Parliaments in Pandemics. Keynote speaker Sven T. Siefken presented first findings of the second wave of a global expert survey ‘Parliaments in Pandemics’. Conducted in 2020, 2021, and 2022, the survey focused on how the pandemic changed the legislatures’ roles and, in particular, electoral, legislative, oversight, communication and representation…
How does political representation work in modern democracies? And what exactly is representation in the first place? Hendrik Hering, the President of the State Parliament of Rhineland Palatinate discusses these questions with Sven T. Siefken in the latest edition of the Podcast “Hintergrundgespräch”. Wie funktioniert politische Repräsentation in modernen Demokratien? Und was ist Repräsentation eigentlich…
In this AICGS webinar, Tom Nuttall, Constanze Stelzenmüller, and Sven Siefken discuss the state of the German coalition negotiations, how these negotiations differ from others, and what challenges the new government will face.
Routledge are publishing a collection “Parliamentary Committees in the Policy Process” edited by Sven T. Siefken and Hilmar Rommetvedt. The book sheds new light on the often shadowy but essential role of committees which exist in modern parliaments around the globe. It questions the conventional notion that the ‘real’ work of parliament happens in committees….
Back at Colorado College, teaching a class in Comparative Politics on the Superwahljahr 2021. The election to the 20th German Parliament will be held on September 26, 2021. It will, very likely, bring an end to 16 years as chancellor of Angela Merkel, who is not running for reelection. With ongoing fragmentation of the German…
Mit den zentralen Themen der Bundestagswahl 2021 befasst sich die neue Reihe #Nachgefragt!BTW21 des Portals für Politikwissenschaft. Die Einschätzungen dazu von Sven T. Siefken finden Sie hier …
Im Rahmen des World Congress der International Political Science Associtation wurde im Juli 2021 eine neue Leitung des Research Committee of Legislative Specialists (RCLS) bestimmt. Sven T. Siefken wurde zum Vice Chair gewählt. Das traditionsreiche RCLS begeht im Jahr 2022 sein 50. Jubiläum. Weitere Details finden Sie unter https://ipsa-rcls.org/
Parité-Gesetze, Vorwahlen, Volksgesetzgebung und Bürgerräte – es werden gegenwärtig verschiedene Wege zur Ergänzung der repräsentativen Demokratie empfohlen. In einem Beitrag für die Zeitschrift Gesellschaft-Wirtschaft-Politik stellen Sven T. Siefken und Alexander Kühne die Grundgedanken parlamentarischer Repräsentation vor, diskutieren verbreitete Missverständnisse und gehen auf Reformansätze ein. Sie finden den Beitrag hier
Das Parlament der Ukraine, die Verkhovna Rada, organisierte mit Unterstützung des USAID eine Konferenz “Parliamentary Oversight in the XXI Century”. Sven T. Siefken sprach dort zur Frage, wie parlamentarische Kontrolle gemessen und verglichen werden kann – und was dabei zu beachten ist. Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier .
Die neue Initiative “Brand New Bundestag” unterstützt bei der Kandidatur für ein Parlamentsmandat. Über die Chancen und Möglichkeiten von parteiunabhängigen Abgeordneten im Bundestag sprach Sven T. Siefken mit dem Mitteldeutschen Rundfunk. Sie finden das Gespräch hier.