The politics of economic growth
Recent research on the political economy of growth models has demonstrated that the drivers of economic growth vary substantially across countries, depending on whether growth relies primarily on domestic demand or foreign demand in the form of exports. With my research, on the one hand, I seek to shed light on how variation in growth models reconfigures national politics by shaping preferences and positions of voters and political parties on issues such as fiscal, monetary and wage policies that are relevant for growth models. On the other hand, I am interested in studying the political and institutional determinants of growth models and economic growth. The results should inform us to what extent we should expect political and economic stability of growth models, and under which conditions growth models may be subject to more fundamental change.
Related research output
Economic growth, greenhouse gas emissions, and voting behavior: Any evidence of political decoupling? (presented at the CES Conference 2023).
Baccaro, Lucio, Björn Bremer & Erik Neimanns (2024) Preferences for Growth Strategies in Advanced Democracies: A New "Representation Gap"? European Journal of Political Research (Online first): https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.12686
Neimanns, Erik & Lucio Baccaro (2024) Growth models and voter preferences: the moderating impact of export-led growth on centre-left voters. Journal of European Public Policy (Online first): https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2024.2398139
Baccaro, Lucio & Erik Neimanns (2022) Who wants wage moderation? Trade exposure, export-led growth, and the irrelevance of bargaining structure. West European Politics (open access): https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2021.2024010
Export-led growth and the preferences of left voters (with Lucio Baccaro; presented at the CES Conference 2021)
The politics of expanding childcare
Expanding the provision of early childhood education and care is usually perceived as being highly popular among the public. Governments in various countries have highlighted the egalitarian potential of such policies and significantly expanded childcare over the past couple of years. However, in many countries supply of childcare is still insufficient and families with a higher educational background and with higher income are often more successful in obtaining a care slot for their children. In my research, I show that despite the seeming popularity of childcare expansion, substantial differences in preferences and priorities exist among policymakers and within the public which may explain why the benefits of childcare expansion in terms of enhanced reconciliation of work and family life and educational opportunities often fall short of their potential.
Related research output
Neimanns, Erik & Björn Bremer The local politics of social investment under fiscal constraints: The case of childcare expansion in Germany. Regulation & Governance (Online first): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rego.70037
PH.D. THESIS: Neimanns, Erik (2017) Public opinion and social investment: How political-institutional context shapes support and opposition towards expanding childcare. University of Konstanz.
Neimanns, Erik (2021) Making mothers stay at home? Analyzing the impact of partisan cueing on attitudes towards maternal employment. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society (Online first, open access): https://academic.oup.com/sp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sp/jxab035/6373887
Neimanns, Erik (2021) Preferences, vote choice, and the politics of social investment: Addressing the puzzle of unequal benefits of childcare provision. Journal of Social Policy (Online first, open access): https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279421000325
Neimanns, Erik (2021) Unequal benefits - diverging attitudes? Analysing the effects of an unequal expansion of childcare provision on attitudes towards maternal employment across 18 European countries. Journal of Public Policy, 41 (2), 251-276.
Neimanns, Erik & Marius R. Busemeyer (2021) Class politics in the sandbox? An analysis of the socio-economic determinants of preferences towards public spending and parental fees for childcare. Social Policy & Administration, 55 (1), 226-241.
Busemeyer, Marius R. & Erik Neimanns (2017) Conflictive preferences towards social investments and transfers in mature welfare states: The cases of unemployment benefits and childcare provision. Journal of European Social Policy, 27 (3), 229-246.
The politics of euro reform
[a description will follow soon]
Related research output
Baccaro, Lucio, Björn Bremer & Erik Neimanns (2022) Strategic Interdependence and Preferences for Debt Mutualization in the Eurozone. Review of International Political Economy. Open access.
Baccaro, Lucio, Björn Bremer & Erik Neimanns (2021) Till austerity do us part? A survey experiment on support for the euro in Italy. European Union Politics, 22 (3), 401-423. Open access.
Better off vs. Left Behind? Patterns of Support for Euro Membership and Exit in Italy and Germany (with Lucio Baccaro and Björn Bremer; presented at the virtual workshop “The Causes and Modes of European Disintegration”, Utrecht University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 28 June 2021).
Public opinion and elite communication
[a description will follow soon]
Related research output
Neimanns, Erik & Nils Blossey (2022) From Media-Party Linkages to Ownership Concentration: Causes of Cross-National Variation in Media Outlets’ Economic Positioning. MPIfG Discussion Paper 22/8. Köln.
Neimanns, Erik (2021) Welfare states, media ownership and attitudes towards redistribution. Journal of European Public Policy (Online first, open access):
https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2021.1986117
Neimanns, Erik (2021) Making mothers stay at home? Analyzing the impact of partisan cueing on attitudes towards maternal employment. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society (Online first, open access): https://academic.oup.com/sp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sp/jxab035/6373887
Investing in education in Europe
Link to the website of the project Investing in Education in Europe (INVEDUC), 2013-18, funded by the European Research Council (with Marius Busemeyer, Julian Garritzmann and Roula Nezi)
Related research output
MONOGRAPH: Busemeyer, Marius R., Julian L. Garritzmann & Erik Neimanns (2020) A loud but noisy signal. Public opinion and education reform in Western Europe. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.
Prize for the best book on Education Politics and/or Education Policy in 2020/21, awarded by the Education Politics and Policy Section of the American Political Science Association
Shortlisted for the 2021 Stein Rokkan Prize by the International Science Council, Universitetet i Bergen and the European Consortium for Political Research
Garritzmann, Julian L., Erik Neimanns & Marius R. Busemeyer (2021) Public opinion towards welfare state reform: The role of political trust and government satisfaction. European Journal of Political Research (Online first, open access): https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6765.12501
Neimanns, Erik, Busemeyer, Marius R. & Julian L. Garritzmann (2018) How Popular Are Social Investment Policies Really? Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Eight Western European Countries. European Sociological Review, 34 (3), 238-253.
Garritzmann, Julian L., Marius R. Busemeyer & Erik Neimanns (2018) Public Demand for Social Investment: New Supporting Coalitions for Welfare State Reform in Western Europe? Journal of European Public Policy, 25 (6), 844-861.
Busemeyer, Marius R., Julian L. Garritzmann, Erik Neimanns & Roula Nezi (2018) Investing in education in Europe: Evidence from a new survey of public opinion. Journal of European Social Policy, 28 (1), 34-54.
DATA SET: Busemeyer, Marius R., Julian L. Garritzmann, Erik Neimanns and Roula Nezi (2018) Investing in Education in Europe: Attitudes, Politics and Policies (INVEDUC). GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA6961 Data file Version 1.0.0, https://doi.org/10.4232/1.13140