Education: Abitur, Theodor-Heuss-Gymnasium Esslingen 1979; studied at University of Stuttgart 1979–82; MSc (Econs), ‘The Politics and Government of Western Europe’, London School of Economics 1983; PhD, ‘An Alternative Politics? The German Green Party in a Comparative Context’, European University Institute, Florence 1987; Habilitation, ‘Stabilität und Wandel. Die Entwicklung der organisatorischen Verbindungen von Parteien und Bürgern in Westeuropa (1960–89)’, University of Mannheim 1999

Career: Thomas Poguntke has been Professor of Political Science/German Political System, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany since 2006. Previously he was Director of the Institute for German Studies and Professor of German and European Politics from 2005–06. Before that he was Professor of Political Science and Research Director in the School of Politics, International Relations and the Environment (SPIRE), Keele University, UK from 2000–05, having been made Professor in 1999. From 1999–2000 he was Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Sociology at the University of Bielefeld. Earlier he had occupied several positions at the University of Mannheim. Thomas Poguntke has been co-editor of the journal German Politics (see url below) since 2006 and has been Series Editor of the Routledge/ECPR Studies in European Political Science since 2003. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of West European Politics and Party Politics. Professor Poguntke is a Fellow of the Mannheimer Zentrum für Europäische Sozialforschung.

Publications include: The Presidentialization of Politics – A Comparative Study of Modern Democracies (co-editor) 2005, The Europeanization of National Political Parties – Power and Organizational Adaptation (co-editor) 2007; numerous articles in professional journals

Contact details: Address: Politikwissenschaft/Politisches System Deutschlands, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, GC 04/144, 44780 Bochum, Germany; Tel: +49 (0)234 3222976; Fax: +49 (0)234 3214508; Email: thomas.poguntke@rub.de ; Website: http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/pw1/ ; Website: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/09644008.asp/ .