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Georg Vanberg

Ernestine Friedl Distinguished Professor of Political Science
Political Science
Box 90204, Durham, NC 27708
140 Science Drive, 219 Gross Hall, Box 90204, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Georg Vanberg (Ph.D., University of Rochester, 1999) is the Ernestine Friedl Distinguished Professor of Political Science. His research focuses on political institutions, including courts, legislatures, and coalition governance. He is the author of Parliaments and Coalitions (with Lanny Martin, Oxford University Press), and The Politics of Constitutional Review in Germany (Cambridge University Press).  His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, and was awarded the 2012 Richard F. Fenno Prize of the American Political Science Association for the Best Book in Legislative Studies, the 2013 Award for the Best Paper published in The Journal of Politics, and the 2015 Elinor Ostrom Prize for the Best Paper published in the Journal of Theoretical Politics. He served as editor of the journal Public Choice (2011-2016), and is a past President of the Public Choice Society (2016-18).

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Ernestine Friedl Distinguished Professor of Political Science · 2020 - Present Political Science, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Political Science · 2013 - Present Political Science, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Development in Trinity College of Arts & Sciences · 2022 - Present Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Affiliate of the Duke Center for International Development · 2023 - Present Duke Center for International Development, Sanford School of Public Policy

In the News


Published April 14, 2020
Duke Awards 29 University Distinguished Professorships
Published December 13, 2019
Brexit Is Put to Bed: A Look at What Follows the UK Election
Published September 9, 2019
Explaining Why Conservatives in Britain Rebelled, But Republicans in Congress Have Not

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Recent Publications


A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Citizen Uncertainty and Democratic Backsliding

Journal Article Journal of Politics · October 1, 2025 A prominent contemporary phenomenon is “backsliding” of democratic countries into (semi-)authoritarian practices. Such episodes often unfold gradually over time in contexts where the ultimate intentions of governments are not clear. We present a model that ... Full text Cite

Federalism, political imbalance, and the right to secession

Journal Article Constitutional Political Economy · March 1, 2025 Scholars have generally taken a negative view of the inclusion of secession rights in federal constitutions. Adopting a constitutional political economy perspective, we challenge this consensus by highlighting the critical role that the right to secession ... Full text Cite

Transitional Justice and the Rule of Law: Tainted Judges and Accountability for Nazi Crimes in West Germany

Journal Article Journal of Politics · October 1, 2024 Following transitions from authoritarianism, newly democratic governments confront the challenge of dealing with individuals who served the former regime. A prominent argument in the transitional justice literature holds that it is best not to exclude such ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Or Honig Support

Institutional SupportPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Israel Institute · 2017 - 2018

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of Rochester · 1999 Ph.D.

External Links


GeorgVanberg.com