Simona Piattoni

- PhD in Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (USA), June 1996.

- BA/MA in Economics and Social Sciences (DES), “Luigi Bocconi” University, Milano (Italy), December 1985.

Academic career

- Adjunct Researcher II, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo (Norway), 2019-

- Teaching member of the Doctoral program in "Politics: History, Theory, Science", LUISS University, 2019-

- Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Univerity of Agder, Kristiansand (Norway), 2014-2018.

- Full Professor (tenured) of Political Science, University of Trento (Italy), November 2011. Courses: Political Development (BA); Local Government (MA); European and International Politics (MA); Advanced Seminar Politics II (PhD).

- Full Professor (tenured) of European Integration Politics, University of Innsbruck (Austria), 10 October 2010-11 November 2011. Courses: Europaeische Integration - Einfuehrung (BA); Europaesiche Integration - Vertiefung (BA); Theorien der europaeischen Integration - Vorlesung (MA);    Theorien der europaeischen Integration - Seminar (MA); Internationale Beziehungen und Integrationsprozesse (PhD); Dissertationsseminar 1 (PhD).

- Associate Professor (tenured) of Political Science, Faculty of Sociology, University of Trento, November 2000-September 2010. Courses: Political Science (BA); Local Government (MA); Multi-Level Governance (MA); European Politics (MA); Advanced Seminar Politics I (PhD).

- One-year contract, Faculty of Sociology, University of Trento, November 1999-October 2000. Course: Sociology of Local Communities.

- Associate Professor (tenured) of Comparative Politics, Department of Political Science, University of Tromsø (Norway), October 1996-October 1999. Courses: Comparative Politics (BA, MA); Methods of Political Research (BA, MA).

- Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics, Department of Political Science, University of Tromsø (Norway), October 1994-October 1996. Courses: Comparative Politics (BA, MA); Methods of Political Research (BA, MA).

Visiting positions:

- Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Studies (Institut fuer Hoehere Studien), Vienna, January-February 2018. 

- Visiting Scholar at the European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Research, Florence, March-July 2017.

- Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford, Department of Politics and International Relations and St.Antony's College, Hillary Term (January-March) 2017. 

- Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Governmental Studies (IGS), University of California, Berkeley, (June-July 2005, July-August 2008).

- Visiting Scholar at the Max-Planck Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung, Köln, Germany (July 2004).

- Jean Monnet Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Research, European University Institute, San Domenico di Fiesole, Italy (September 2000-May 2001).

- Visiting scholar at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Research, European University Institute, San Domenico di Fiesole, Italy (August 1998, September 1999-May 2000).

- Graduate student affiliate at the “Minda de Gunzburg” Center for European Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA (1992-1994).

1. "The Political Economy of EMU" An analysis of the impact of EMU on the economic performance of Eurozone countries, particularly Italy and Germany. 

2. "EU Democracy: Which Standards?" A theoretical and empirical investigation into the standards for democratic governance in the EU.

3. “The Committee of the Regions and EU Democracy” A theoretical and empirical research into the hybrid nature of the CoR and its contribution to EU democratic governance.

4. "Multi-Level Governance" The transformation of center-periphery relations under the impact of European integration.

5. "Clientelism, Patronage, Corruption." A comparative inquiry into contemporary clientelism, patronage and corruption.

- H2020 "EU3D - Differentiation, Dominance and Democracy", ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo (Norway), https://www.sv.uio.no/arena/english/research/projects/eu3d/

- MIUR-PRIN: "Which Europe? The Impact of the Euro Crisis on European and Italian Institutions, Elites and Policies" coordinated by Prof. Sergio Fabbrini, University of Trento, 2013-15

- MIUR-PRIN: “An Ever More Flexible Union? The Treaty of Lisbon and After” coordinated by Prof.. Maurizio Ferrera, University of Milan, 2009-2011.

- MIUR-PRIN: “Il processo d’integrazione europea in una fase di stallo istituzionale: mutamenti nelle sfere della rappresentanza politica, dei processi decisionali e della cittadinanza sociale” coordinated by Prof. Maurizio Cotta, University of Siena, 2008-2009.

- FP VII Network of Excellence EU-CONSENT: Wider Europe, Deeper Integration (scientific coordinator Prof. Wolfgang Wessels, University of Cologne),Team Leader (Team 9) and institutional representative of the University of Trento, 2005-2009.

- MIUR-PRIN research project “Challenges to the New European Polity: Identity, Representation, Citizenship and Public Policies” coordinated by Prof. Sergio Fabbrini, University of Trento, 2006-2007.

- FP VI Research Project “Organized Civil Society and European Governance-CIVGOV” (scientific coordinator Prof.  Carlo Ruzza, University of Trento) and financed by the European Commission-V Framework Programme), coordinator of the sector on Regionalism-Structural Funds, 2003-2006.

- MIUR-PRIN research project “European Governance as Institutional Learning” coordinated by Prof. Sergio Fabbrini, University of Trento, 2004-2005.

- FP V Research Project “Informal Governance in the European Union” (scientific coordinators Prof. Thomas Christiansen, University of Wales, and Prof. Simona Piattoni, University of Trento), 2001-2003.

- MIUR-PRIN research project “Italy within the new system of European governance. Elites, institutions, networks” coordinated by Sergio Fabbrini, University of Trento, 2002-2003.

- MIUR-PRIN research project “Supranational governance and Italian politics. Government institutions, political culture, and public policies in the process of European integration” coordinated by Prof. Maurizio Ferrera, University of Pavia, 2000-2001.

- Research Project “Flexible specialization within a multi-plant firm: the GFT (Gruppo Finanziario Tessile) case” in cooperation with Prof. Charles Sabel, Department of Political Science, MIT, January-June 1989.

- Research Project “Italian macroeconomic policy in the Seventies and Eighties” in cooperation with Prof. Richard Locke, Sloan School of Management and Department of Political Science, MIT, September-December 1989.

- Research Project “La politica di incentivazione alla formazione di capitale fisso in Italia nel dopoguerra” in cooperation with Prof. Giuliano Mussati, Department of Industrial Economics, "Luigi Bocconi" University, Milano, January 1986-July 1987.

Editorial boards:

- Member of the ASN (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) committee for Political Science /14/A2), 2018-2021.

- Member of the Editorial Board of Politics and Governance, 2018-

- Member of the Editorial Board of the Asian Journal of Comparative Politics, 2015-2020.

- Member of the Editorial Board of the Austrian Journal of Political Science, 2014-2019.

- Member of the Editorial Board of Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche (RIPP), 2011-2018.

- Member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Political Research, 2008-2014.

- Co-editor of Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica (RISP), 2003-2009.

- Member of the Editorial Board of Regional and Federal Studies, 2003-2006.

- Corresponding Editor of Meridiana, since 2004.

- Corresponding Editor of EPS-European Political Science, 2001-2011.

Scientific associations:

- Chair Committee on Research and Teaching, International Political Science Association (IPSA), 2028-2020

- President, Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP), 2015-2018. 

- Chair of the Executive Committee of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), 2012-2015.

- President of the Conference Group on Italian Politics and Society - CONGRIPS (organized section of the American Political Science Association), September 2011-August 2013.

- Member of the Executive Committee of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), 2009-2015.

- Member of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) since 2006.

- Member of the Executive Committee of the Conference Group on Italian Politics and Society (CONGRIPS - organized section of the American Political Science Association), since 2000.

- Member of the Standing Group on Federalism of the European Consortium for Political Research, since 1999.

- Member of the Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP), since 1994.

- Member of the American Political Science Association (APSA), since 1992.

Prizes and other acknowledgments

- Villa Vigoni grant for German-Italian socio-scientific dialogue: "E la nave va. Social Science perspectives on Germany, Italy and the European Union after a decade of crisis", 2019.

- Villa Vigoni grant for German-Italian social-scientific dialogue: "Amici come prima? Social science perspectives on Germany, Italy and the EU in times of crisis", 2017.

- Jean Monnet Fellowship, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Research, European University Institute, Florence, 1999-2001.

- Scholarship for the study of German, "Minda de Gunzburg" Center for European Studies, Harvard University, Summer 1991.

- Dissertation grant, MacArthur Foundation, 1991.

- Dissertation grant, Social Science Research Council, 1990.

- Golden medal as “Best 1985-86 student”, Bocconi University, Milano, September 1986.

- AIESEC Internship in Management Games, Wroclaw Polytechnic (Poland), Summer 1983.

Grants and scholarships 

- DFG/Villa Vigoni Deutsch-Italienisch Zusammenarbeit in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenchaften 2019 (with Ton Notermans, Luca Verzichelli and Claudius Wagemann) (support for travel and accommodation for a two-day workshop in Loveno di Menaggio (CO) in 2020; postponed to 2021).

- DFG/Villa Vigoni Deutsch-Italienisch Zusammenarbeit in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenchaften 2017 (with Claudius Wagemann and Luca Verzichelli) (support for travel and accommodation for a two-day workshop in Loveno di Menaggio (CO) in 2018).

- DAAD Conference Grant 57218962, November 2016 (with Claudius Wagemann and Luca Verzichelli) € 9575,00. 

- LLP-Jean Monnet Information and Research Activity (EAC/27/11) EUGODEM "European Union Governance Democracy" (€31,245), 2012-2013.

- Network of Excellence EU-CONSENT funds (€35,000) for activities connected with the project “Wider Europe, Deeper Integration” (scientific coordinator Prof. Wolfgang Wessels, University of Cologne), 2005-2009.

- LLP-Jean Monnet Module “Cities and Regions in European Multi-Level Governance” funds (€11,800), 2003-2006.

- Framework V research grant (€ 10,000), “Informal Governance in the European Union”, European Commission, 2001-2003.

- Research Funds from the Norwegian National Research Council (NFR) and from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Tromsø, Norway, for the project “Clientelism, Interests and Democratic Representation”, 1998.

- Six-month Doctoral Research Award from the Istituto Italiano per il Commercio Estero, January-June 1993.

- Six-month Doctoral Dissertation Scholarship from the MacArthur Foundation (USA), July-December 1992.

- Yearly International Doctoral Research Fellowship from the Social Science Research Council (USA), August 1991-July 1992.

Participation at conferences and workshops (since 2010):

- Roundtable on Vivien Schmidt’s Europe’s Crisis of Legitimacy: Governing by Rules and Ruling by Numbers in the Eurozone, 26th International Conference of Europeanists, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Madrid (Spain), 20-22 June 2019.

- “The EMU and the Italian Debt Problem: From Europhilia to Euroscepticism” (with Ton Notermans) at the 2019 biennual EUSA conference, panel “Backlash Against teh EU in West and East Europe”, Denver (CO), 9-11 May 2019.

- “EMU’s Elusive Convergence: How the Past Weighs Down on Italy’s and Germany’s Trajectories and Aggravates EMU’s Limits to Growth” (with Ton Notermans) at the pre-2019 biennual EUSA conference Symposium in Honor of Alberta Sbragia, Denver (CO), 8 May 2019.

- Participation in the plenary session of the conference Valori distinti, azioni condivise organizzato da VO.CI. Volontariato Civico, Palazzo Mezzanotte, Milano 6 May 2019.  

- “The narrow path: Italy between consolidation and relaunced growth” at the State of the Union Conference 2019, “Re-uniting Europe? Between geopolitical tensions and domestic constraints”, Clingendael Institute, The Hague, 25 January 2019.

- “Two Decades of Italian Euro-Membership: From Europhilia to Euroscepticism” (with Ton Notermans), presented at the workshop “EMU at Twenty”, University of Leiden, The Netherlands, 15-17 November 2018.

- “Complementary or Incompatible? Italy and Germany in the EMU’s Governance Architecture” (with Ton Notermans), at the “Comparative Governance in Europe:  A Symposium in Honor of Alberta Sbragia”, Pittsburgh, 8-10 November, 2018.

- “Democratizing the EU: Which Role for Representative Assemblies? A Normative Analysis”, keynote speech, 4th TRACE symposium on “Parliaments and the Politicization of the EU”, Jyväskylä, Finland, 31 May-1 June, 2018.

- “Italy and Germany: Incompatible Varieties of Europe?” (with Ton Notermans), SGEU Conference, Section on “The Political Economy of the Euro Area and its Future”, Paris, 13-15 June 2018.

- “Migliorare la gestione del settore pubblico. Il ruolo del volontariato civico”, Vo.Ci, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milano, 12 April 2018.

- Panel debate “Regions and the Future of Europe” at the conference “The Future of the EU and the Role of the Regions”, European Committee of the Regions, Brussels, 10 April 2018.

- “Rethinking Democracy for an Interconnected World. Democratic Principles for a Multilevel Democracy”, Institute of Advanced Studies (Institut für Höhere Studien, IHS), Vienna, 1 February 2018.

- “What Political Legitimacy for a Reinforced EMU? The View from Below”, ACCESS conference on The Future of Economic and Monetary Union: Priorities and Perspectives for Reform, Amsterdam, 8 December 2017.

- “The European Semester: Democratic Weaknesses as Limits to Learning” (with Yannis Papadopoulos), Symposium on Problem-Solving and Learning in Multilevel Governance, University of Lausanne, 1 December 2017.

- “Democracy and (Dis)-integration” (with Ton Notermans), Jean Monnet Fellowship Programme@25 Alumni Conference, EUI, 22-23 June 2017.

- “Democratic Principles in Interconnected Settings”, European Studies Centre, St. Antony’s College, 1 March 2017; Center for European Studies, Harvard University, 3 May 2017; Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Research, EUI, 6 June 2017; ECPR General Conference, University of Oslo, 7 September 2017;  Department of Political Science LUISS University, 19 October 2017; Institute for Advanced Studies (HIS), Vienna, 1 February 2018.

- “Europe with the Regions: Regionalization and the Democratization of the EU”, PRRIDE Conference on Europe with the Regions, Eberahrd-Karls University, Tübingen, 11-13 May 2017. 

- “Renzi’s Government and the Primacy of Politics” (co-author, Maurizio Carbone, University of Glasgow), 2016 APSA Annual Meeting, CONGRIPS Panel “Italian Politics under Renzi and Beyond: Transformation or Stagnation?”, Philadelphia, 1 September 2016.

- “Shaping Policy from Below. EU Democracy and the Committee of the Regions”, Committee of the Regions, Brussels, 20 April 2016; Circolo della Cultura e delle Arti, Trieste, 5 maggio 2016 and Facoltà di Giurisprudenza, Università degli Studi di Trieste, 6 maggio 2016; 8th SGEU-ECPR Pan-European Conference on the European Union, 16-18 June 2016.

- “The European Union between intergovernmentalism and ‘shared and responsible sovereignty’. The haptic nature of the EU’s institutional architecture”, Leonard Schapiro Lecture, 66^th PSA Annual International Conference, Brighton, 21-23 March 2016.

- “Towards a ‘shared and responsible’ democratic governance for the European Union”, LUISS University, 12 November 2015.

- “The European Union: Democratic Principles and Institutional Architectures in Times of Crisis”, invited presentation Center for European Union Research (CEUR), Central European University, Budapest, 29 October 2015.

- “Exploring Macro-Regions in Europe through the Lens of Multi-Level Governance” (second version), at the workshop A Macro-regional Europe in the Making? Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence, Universitetet i Agder, Kristiansand, 2-3 October 2014.

- “The European Crisis: Testing the Trust Foundations of an Economic and Monetary Union”, at the international conference on The European Crisis in a Global Perspective, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 18-20 September 2014.

- “Integration Through Crises: Politics in (EU) Hard Times”, at the 23^rd IPSA World Congress, Montréal, 19-24 July 2014.

- “Elections in Multilevel Political Systems: Implications for Representative Democracy in Times of Crisis”, paper presented at the conference on What Form of Government for the European Union and the Eurozone?, Tilburg Law School, the Netherlands, 5-6 June 2014.

- “The European Union: Legitimating Values, Democratic Principles and Institutional Architectures”, paper presented at the SGEU 7^th Pan- European Conference on the Europeans Union, The Hague 5-7 June 2014.

- “Elections in Multi-Level Political Systems: Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processes”, at the EUDO conference on Elections in Europe in Times of Crisis, panel “Nationalization of European Elections v. Europeanization of National Elections, EUI, Florence, 28-29 November 2013.

- “European Union Legitimacy: Democratic Principles, Analytical Axes and Institutional Architectures” at the international conference The European Union: Which Institutional Architecture for Which democracy?, University of Trento, 2 June 2013.

- “Bureaucracy”, at the First Workshop on the Oxford Handbook of Italian Politics, SAIS-Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center, Palazzo Malvezzi, Bologna, 14.01.2013.

- “Exploring Macro-Regions in Europe Through the Lens of Multi-Level Governance”, at the workshop on Macroregionalization in Europe: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Evidence, University of Agder, Kristiansand, 13-14.12.2012.

- “Rethinking Representative Democracy in Europe”, at the conference Reconnecting the Public with the EU – Not Just in Britain, The Federal Trust, Mary Sumner House, London, 12.12.2012.

 - “Integration Through Crises: Neo-Neofunctionalism Strikes Back!”, at the 6th Pan-European Conference on the European Union, Section “Theories of European Integration”, Tampere, 12-15 September 2012.

- “Representation as Delegation: A Basis for EU Democracy?”, at the workshop The Democratization of the European Polity. Regress or Under-exploited Potential?, Trento, 5 June 2012.

- “Between Territorial, Functional and Institutional Representation: CoR’s ‘Mission Impossible’?”, at the conference New Trends in Political representation in the EU: Still democratic?, University of Exeter, 24-26 May 2012.

- “Institutional Structures for the EU Compared: Some Questions”, paper presented at the conference on The European Union: What Institutional Architecture for Which Type of Democracy?, University of Innsbruck, 22-23 September 2011.

- Discussant of the papers of the CONGRIPS panel on “The Italian Political System 150 Years On: The Risorgimento’s Relevance Today”, American Political Science Association annual meeting, 1-4 September 2011.

- “MLG as political mobilization (politics), as authoritative decision-making (policy) and as state restructuring (polity)”, at the conference on Multi-Level Governance in the Wider Europe: Taking ‘Governance’ Seriously, Cardiff, 7-8 July 2011.

- Discussant of the papers of the CONGRIPS panel on “The Italian Political System 150 Years On: The Risorgimento’s Relevance Today”, APSA annual meeting, 1-4 September 2011.

- “Representation as Authorization: A Basis for EU Democracy?”, paper presented at the panel on “Challenges to Representative Democracy in the EU: Recent Theoretical Advancement" at the 18^th International Conference of Europeanists, Barcelona, June 20-22, 2011.

- Keynote address on “Multi-Level Governance” at the NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) Shifts in Governance (SiG) final conference, Royal Theatre, The Hague, the Netherlands, March 31 2011.

- “Blurring Political and Functional Representation: Sub-national Territorial Interests in European Multi-Level Governance”, at the panel on “Re-Organizing Interests: The Process of Political representation in the Global Age”, APSA annual conference, Washington Sept. 2-5, 2010.

- “Blurring Political and Functional Representation: Sub-national Territorial Interests in European Multi-Level Governance”, at the panel on “Constructed Interests: The Process of Political Representation in the Global Age” organized by Peter Hall, Wade Jacoby, Jonah Levy and Sophie Meunier, Seventeenth International Conference of Europeanists, Montreal, April 15-17, 2010.

- “The Problematic Coexistence between Territorial and Functional Representation”, at the panel “Territorial and Functional Representation in EU Governance”, Second IPSA International Conference, University of Luxemburg, March 18-20, 2010.

- “Multi-Level Governance. A Political Perspective”, EURAC-University of Innsbruck Winter School on Federalism and Governance, February 2, 2010.

- “From Bologna to Lisbon, and Back: The Political Uses of the Lisbon ‘Script’ between Shared Goals and National Trajectories in European Higher Education Policy”, with Giliberto Capano (University of Bologna-Forlì) at the international conference “The Future of Europe”, University of Exeter, 21-22 January 2010.

Organization of conferences and workshops (since 2005):

- Co-convener (with Prof. Stella Ladi, QMUL) of the Section "The Politics of Austerity: Redistribution and the Future of European Welfare States", 10th biennual ECPR-SGEU conference, LUISS, Rome, 4-6 July 2020. 

- Co-convener (with Prof. Ton Notermans) of the Section “Inequality, economic reform, and public policy” of the 16th biennial EUSA conference “Coming Together or Moving Apart?”, Denver (CO), 9-11 May 2019.

- Co-convener of the “Villa Vigoni” Deutsch-Italienische Zusammenarbeit in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften project “Amici come prima? Politikwissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf Deutschland, Italien und die Europäische Union in gegenwärtigen Krisenzeiten”, with Prof. Claudius Wagemann, University of Frankfurt, Prof. Luca Verzichelli, University of Siena and Prof. Ton Notermans, Tallinn University of Technology, April 2017.

- Organizer of the SGEU-ECPR 8^th Pan-European Conference on the European Union, Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, 16-18 June 2016.

- Co-organizer (with Prof. Maurizio Carbone) of the workshop “Politica in Italia 2015”, Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center, 7 November 2015.

- Co-convenor (with Prof. Fulvio Attinà) of the European Politics section of the SISP – Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (2015-16).

- Convenor of two panels on “The European Union: Which Governance Architectures for Which Democracy” at the SGEU 7^th Pan-European Conference on the European Union, The Hague, 5-7 June 2014. 

- Convenor of the conference “The European Union: What Institutional Architecture for Which Type of Democracy?”, University of Trento, 3 June 2013.

- Convenor of the panel “Sovranità sotto tutela o tutela della sovranità? L’Unione Europea al tempo della crisi”, at the Festival dell’Economia 8th edition on Sovranità di  conflitto, Trento-Rovereto, May 30-June 2. 

- Convenor of the conference “The European Union: What Institutional Architecture for Which Type of Democracy? Federalism, Compound Democracy, Multi-Level Governance and Directly Deliberative Polyarchy Compared”, University of Innsbruck, 22-23 September 2011.

- Chair of the panel “Clientelismi e trasformismi vecchi e nuovi”, Section on Sistema Politico Italiano (convenors Annarita Criscitiello and Francesco Raniolo), Palermo, Dipartimento di Studi su Politica, Diritto e Società “Gaetano Mosca”, 8 - 10 settembre 2011.

- Convenor of the panel “Creating Transnational Higher Education Areas: Partnership, Competitiveness, Development” in Section 51, ECPR 6^th General Conference, Reykjavik 25-27 August, 2011.

- Co-convenor (with Fabio Franchino, University of Milano) of the European Studies Section at the Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP) annual meeting, IUAV, Venezia, 15-17 September 2010.

- Convenor and Chair of the ECPR-APSA panel “Investing in Governance in the EU and the US”, at the 2010 APSA annual conference, Washington DC, September 2-5, 2010.

- Convenor of the conference “Creating Transnational Higher Education Areas. Partnership, Competitiveness, and Development”, University of Trento, July 7-8, 2010.

- Co-convenor (with Marco Giuliani, University of Milano) of the European Studies Section and Chair of the workshop “Governance Democracy: Structures, Problems, Solutions,” at the Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP) annual meeting, LUISS, Rome, 17-19 September 2009.

- Organizer of the workshop on “Multi-Level Governance: Theory and Practice” within the CINEFOGO conference The Governance of the European Union: theories, practices, and myths, Brussels, 25-26 January, 2008.

- Organizer of the conference on Multi-Level Governance: Theory and Practice, University of Trento, May 25-26, 2007.

- Co-chair (with Philip Manow, MPIfG) of the Section on “Quality of Democracy - Patronage and Corruption in Europe: A Comparative Assessment”, ECPR General Conference, Budapest, September 19-21, 2005.