My research focuses on institutions in democratic systems. Institutions structure the way in which individuals and groups can live their lives. For instance, the way governance is organized in urban areas impacts who gets to go to what school and through what means of transportation. Likewise, who can influence political decision-making in what way depends on the institutional channels – elections, popular votes, or local assemblies – that citizens have at their disposal.
A central aim of my research is to expand knowledge about how such institutions work, how they are perceived, and how they change. I do so by drawing the lessons from politics at the local and urban level, in Switzerland and in other European countries. Focusing on the level of government closest to citizens allows for new insights because it offers a plethora of institutional variation to compare and learn from.
On these pages, you can find information on my three main research areas on institutions, which can be summarized by three central questions:
1. What are the causes and consequences of territorial reforms?
2. Which kind of citizens prefer which kind of institutional structures?
3. Who are the elites who have controlled the key institutions in Swiss cities?
Michael A. Strebel 