Paul Kindermann

Paul Kindermann is a PhD candidate at the European Institute.

Paul Kindermann is a PhD candidate at the European Institute. He works at the intersection of empirical political science and (normative) political theory. Paul specialises in the comparative study of political participation and institutional design in Europe and has strong interest in the European Union; his first article on the role of democratic innovations in the EU has been published in the Journal of European Public Policy.

In his doctoral research, Paul studies the promises of novel and more direct forms of citizens participation in light of current sociopolitical challenges to democratic institutions in Europe. His PhD project critically examines democratic innovations such as mini-publics, questioning their ability to address these challenges – including political polarisation and the increasing disconnect between democratic institutions and society. Based on two original empirical contributions – a comparative group interview study and a study of European elites –, the project develops the theoretical argument that the new paradigm of citizen engagement may be innovating democracy for the worse.

Paul’s doctoral research is funded by an LSE Studentship. To conduct his empirical research in Germany, Ireland, and Italy, he received further support from the LSE Data Collection Fund, a UACES scholarship, and a research grant from the Otto-Brenner-Foundation (OBS).

Academic Supervisor: Professor Jonathan White

Thesis

"Innovating democracy for the worse? The new citizen engagement in Europe"