September 2025: Political Elites and Inequality Workshop in Konstanz

In September 2025, Dr Despina Alexiadou attended the Political Elites and Inequality Workshop at the University of Konstanz (Germany). Here, she presented the paper “Do their Interests Matter? Finance Ministers and Wealth Inequality in Europe” (co-authored with Dr Giulia Venturini, Prof Miquel Pellicer, and Prof. Eva Wegner), in which they investigate the relationship between finance ministers’ professional and economic interests and economic policies, with a focus on taxation and financial regulation. For more details, see here; https://wealthpolicies.eu/work-in-progress

50 countries In September 2025, Drs Despina Alexiadou and Giulia Venturini attended the American Political Science Association (APSA) Conference in Vancouver (Canada). Here, they presented the paper “Do their Interests Matter? Finance Ministers and Wealth Inequality in Europe” (co-authored with Profs Miquel Pellicer and Eva Wegner), in which they investigate the relationship between finance ministers’ professional and economic interests and economic policies, with a focus on taxation and financial regulation. For more details, see here; https://wealthpolicies.eu/work-in-progress

September 11–14, 2025: APSA 2025

In August 2024, Dr Giulia Venturini attended the first annual WhoGov Workshop at the University of Oslo (Norway). Here she presented the paper “Do their Interests Matter? Finance Ministers and Wealth Inequality in Europe” (co-authored with Dr Despina Alexiadou, Prof Miquel Pellicer, and Prof. Eva Wegner), in which they investigate the relationship between finance ministers’ professional and economic interests and economic policies, with a focus on taxation and financial regulation. For more details, see here; https://wealthpolicies.eu/work-in-progress

August 2025: WhoGov Workshop at the University of Oslo

3rd of July 2025: Welfare States Matter for Democracy: Income-Based Participatory Inequality

Our guest speaker Carsten Schneider, Professor of Political Science at Central European University (CEU), presented his research on the topic: “Welfare States Matter for Democracy: Income-Based Participatory Inequality”.

Poorer citizens generally participate less in politics. Yet, this income-based gap in participation is not the same across democracies and over time. Existing attempts at understanding the sources of this variation point to macro-level factors, such as compulsory voting, ballot complexity, or income inequality (Gallego, 2015; Solt, 2008) are not successful in explaining temporal variation in this participation gap when the institutional framework is stable. We propose a largely neglected, yet plausible, reason for the effect of income on political participation: the characteristics of the welfare state. In addition to providing resources relevant to participation, welfare state arrangements also create political constituencies that can be mobilized around a shared goal by political entrepreneurs. Building on Schneider and Makszin’s (2014) education-based analysis we inductively develop, with the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), various welfare regime types that condition patterns of income-based participatory inequality in democracies. These are produced based on an original data set from 19 OECD members between 1960 and 2010. In a second step, we complement our aggregate-level QCA with individual-level tests of the hypothesized mechanisms linking welfare regime types to low gaps in participatory inequality. Relying on six cross-national survey programs, such as the European Social Survey or the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems, we find consistent support for the mobilization-based mechanisms, while revealing mixed evidence for an attitudinal change mechanism and the resource-based mechanisms. Overall, our results indicate the effect of welfare state characteristics on political participation gaps in advanced industrial democracies. Welfare state reforms, and in particular retrenchment, are likely to have (damaging) consequences for democracy.

(left to right) Miquel Pellicer, Carsten Q. Schneider and Eva Wegner

In June 2025, Drs Despina Alexiadou and Giulia Venturini attended the European Political Science Association (EPSA) Conference in Madrid (Spain). Here, they presented the paper “Do their Interests Matter? Finance Ministers and Wealth Inequality in Europe” (co-authored with Profs Miquel Pellicer and Eva Wegner), in which they investigate the relationship between finance ministers’ professional and economic interests and economic policies, with a focus on taxation and financial regulation. For more details, see here; https://wealthpolicies.eu/work-in-progress

June 2025: European Political Science Association (EPSA) Conference in Madrid

10th of June 2025: Money, money, money – Does Money Rule the World?

It shapes our private lives, drives political power, and increasingly defines global relationships. Wealth offers far more than comfort—it brings influence, authority, and access. This connection was starkly illustrated when Donald Trump, upon returning to office, handed sweeping powers to Elon Musk, possibly the world’s richest man, highlighting how financial capital can translate directly into political impact. Money has long been central to how states wield power, using monetary policy to stabilize economies and assert influence—alongside military strength and trade strategies. For individuals, money meets essential needs, fulfills aspirations, and, where absent, leads to hardship and exclusion. But how did money come to hold such immense significance? When did it become so entwined with control, status, and survival? Can we learn to use it more responsibly—and can it really make us happy?

These questions were at the core of the Herrenhäuser Gespräch on June 10, 2025, in Hanover. Among the speakers was Prof. Eva Wegner, who shared findings from our project, “Politicians, Policies, and the Reproduction of Wealth”, which explores how political decisions shape the distribution and preservation of wealth over time.

Curious about what she had to say? Watch the full recording here (in German)

June: EGEN 2025 - women ministers

In May 2025, Dr Giulia Venturini attended the Empirical Study of Gender Research Network Workshop at ITAM in Mexico City (Mexico). Here she presented the paper “Women in Top Ministerial Positions: A Comparative Perspective” (co-authored with Dr. Despina Alexiadou), in which they investigate whether women in senior ministerial positions have significantly different profiles compared to men. Specifically, the paper studies the extent to which women’s qualifications (in terms of education and prior professional experience) and connections (both familial and those derived from informal networks) differ from those of their male counterparts.

3th - 6th of March 2025: Power Project Research Meeting in Cape Town

Just over a month ago, our team gathered in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa, for the second in-person meeting of our project, “Politicians, Policies, and the Reproduction of Wealth”. This project brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars from political science, economics, and law from South Africa, Brazil, Scotland and Germany, united by a shared interest in understanding how political actors and policy frameworks influence the long-term distribution and reproduction of wealth. Over several days of intensive sessions, we engaged in in-depth discussions of our ongoing research, critically evaluated preliminary findings, and identified new opportunities for collaboration. Together, we refined our shared research agenda and laid the foundation for new interdisciplinary initiatives that will guide the next phase of our project.

Beyond the formal academic program, the meeting also offered valuable opportunities for informal exchange. Shared dinners, casual gatherings, and time spent exploring Cape Town made this project meeting perfect and complemented our scholarly work. We are grateful to all participants for their enthusiasm, insights, and commitment. We look forward with excitement to our next meeting and to continuing the important work ahead.

(back; left to right) Giulia Venturini, Vimal Ranchhod, Arindam Jana, Miquel Pellicer, Iana Alves de Lima, Lukas Rädle, Despina Alexiadou, Eva Wegner, Leticia Barbabela, Paula Pagliari de Braud, Raquel de Mattos Pimenta, Ibrahim Kuran