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
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2022 - Present
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Affiliate of the Duke Center for International Development
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2023 - Present
Duke Center for International Development,
Sanford School of Public Policy
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 CiteFederalism, 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 CiteTransitional 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 CiteRecent Grants
Or Honig Support
Institutional SupportPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Israel Institute · 2017 - 2018View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of Rochester ·
1999
Ph.D.