Philipp Kerler

My research area is Political Economy and Development.

Recently, I started investigating the political effects of structural transformations, especially, how structural transformations relate to the rise of the radical right in the Global South. Structural economic explanations are at the heart of theories of the rise of the radical right in Europe and the US. Yet, we observe the same phenomenon in some of the largest democracies in the world, where structural transformations are significantly different from the US and Europe.

In other ongoing work, I focus on issues related to political participation and accountability in the Global South. Beyond its intrinsic value, people having a political voice underpins the development of inclusive institutions, which are necessary to improve social welfare.

I seek to contribute on theoretical and empirical grounds, as I believe in a strong complementarity between both. To structure my theoretical thinking, I often resort to formal modeling. In my empirical work, I use quantitative methods to analyze a wide range of data. Being trained in Political Science and Economics, I aspire to foster the growing connection between both fields.