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 Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences

Michael Bechtel

Research interests

Comparative Politics, International Relations, Climate Politics, Redistribution, Voting, Political Behaviour, Survey Methods, Experiments

Curriculum vitae

  • 2016-2020: Washington University in St. Louis, Associate Professor of Political Science with tenure, Director of Environmental Policy Major

  • 2012-2016: University of St.Gallen and Swiss Institute for International Economics and Applied Economic Research, SNSF Research Professor of Political Science

  • 2008-2012: ETH Zurich, Center for Comparative and International Studies/Institute for Environmental Decisions, Postdoctoral Researcher (2008-10), Senior Researcher (2010-12)

  • 2012: Habilitation in Political Science, ETH Zurich

  • 2008: Ph.D. Political Science, University of Konstanz

  • 2005: M.A. Political Science (minors: Business Administration and Public Law), University of Freiburg

Selected publications

  • “Why Austerity? The Mass Politics of a Contested Policy" (with Kirk Bansak and Yotam Margalit), in: American Political Science Review (2021) 115 (2): 486-450.

  • “Left-Right Ideology and the Debate over International Bailouts: The Case of Grexit" (with Kirk Bansak, Jens Hainmueller and Yotam Margalit), in: Journal of Politics (2020) 82 (2): 509-528.

  • “Inequality and Redistribution Behavior in a Give-or-Take Game'' (with Roman Liesch and Kenneth F. Scheve), in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018) 115 (14): 3611-3616.

  • “Does Compulsory Voting Increase Support for Leftist Policy?'' (with Dominik Hangartner and Lukas Schmid), in: American Journal of Political Science (2016) 60 (3): 752-767.

  • “Preferences for International Redistribution: The Divide over the Eurozone Bailouts" (with Jens Hainmueller and Yotam Margalit), in: American Journal of Political Science (2014) 58 (4): 835-856.

  • “Mass Support for Global Climate Agreements Depends on Institutional Design'' (with Kenneth F. Scheve), in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2013) 110 (34): 13763-13768.

  • “How Lasting Is Voter Gratitude? An Analysis of the Short- and Long-term Electoral Returns to Beneficial Policy'' (with Jens Hainmueller), in: American Journal of Political Science (2011) 55 (4): 852-868.

  • “The Political Sources of Systematic Investment Risk: Lessons from a Consensus Democracy'', in: Journal of Politics (2009) 71 (2): 661-677.

Selected media publications

How Can Countries Make Progress on Global Climate Policy?