Prof. Dr. Paul Marx, University of Duisburg-Essen
Paul Marx
Professor of Political Economy
at the University of Bonn
➥ About | ➥ Publications | ➥ Projects | ➥ Contact
About
Paul Marx was Professor of Political Science and Socio-Economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen from 2017 until 2023. In addition, he was affiliated to the Danish Centre for Welfare Studies as a part-time professor and to the IZA Institute of Labor Economics as a research fellow. He is now a Professor of Political Economy at the University of Bonn.
His research interests are related to social and political inequality, political behaviour, and comparative welfare state and labour market analysis. His work has been published in journals such as British Journal of Sociology, European Journal of Political Research, European Sociological Review, Journal of European Public Policy, Journal of Politics, and Politics & Society.
Academic Career
Since 2023 |
University of Bonn |
12/2017 - 2023 |
University of Duisburg-Essen |
12/2011 - 11/2017 |
University of Southern Denmark |
07/2011 - 11/2011 |
IZA - Institute of Labor Economics |
Publications
Books
Busemeyer, M., Kemmerling, A., Marx, P. & van Kersbergen, K. (2022) (ed.), Digitalization and the Welfare State, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Marx, P. (2015), The Political Behaviour of Temporary Workers, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2015) (ed.), Non-standard Employment in Post-industrial Labour Markets: An Occupational Perspective, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar.
Emmenegger, P., Kvist, J., Marx, P. & Petersen, K. (2015) (ed.), 25 Years of Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, Journal of European Social Policy, 25(1).
Journal articles
Jungkunz, S. & Marx, P. (2022), Income changes do not influence political involvement in panel data from six countries, European Journal of Political Research, 61(3), 829-841.
Fastenrath, F., Marx, P., Truger, A. & Vitt, H. (2022), Why is it so difficult to tax the rich? Evidence from German policy-makers, Journal of European Public Policy, 29(5), 767-786.
Jungkunz, S. & Marx, P. (2021), The Negative Influence of Individual Socio-Economic Problems on Political Knowledge, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 33(4), 891–910.
Yazell, B., Petersen, K., Marx, P. & Fessenbecker, P. (2021) The Role of Literary Fiction in Facilitating Social Science Research, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(261).
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2021), How Stable Is Labour Market Dualism? Reforms of Employment Protection in Nine European Countries, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 27(1), 93-110.
Marx, P. (2020), Anti-Elite Politics and Emotional Reactions to Socio-Economic Problems. Experimental Evidence on ‘Pocketbook Anger’ from France, Germany, and the United States, British Journal of Sociology, 71(4), 608–624.
Marx, P. & Picot, G. (2020), Three Approaches to Labour Market Vulnerability and Political Preferences, Political Science Research and Methods, 8(2), 356-361.
Marx, P. (2019), Should We Study Political Behaviour as Rituals? Towards a General Micro Theory of Politics in Everyday Life, Rationality and Society, 31(3), 313–336.
Emmenegger, P. & Marx, P. (2019), The Politics of Inequality as Organized Spectacle: Why the Swiss Do Not Want to Tax the Rich, New Political Economy, 24(1), 103-124.
Marx, P. & Nguyen, C. (2018), Anti-Elite Parties and Political Inequality: How Challenges to the Political Mainstream Reduce Income Gaps in Internal Efficacy, European Journal of Political Research, 57(4), 919-940.
Marx, P. & Naumann, E. (2018), Do Radical Right-Wing Parties Foster Welfare Chauvinistic Attitudes? A Longitudinal Study of the 2015 ‘Refugee Crisis’ in Germany, Electoral Studies, 52(1), 111-116.
Marx, P. & Schumacher, G. (2018), Do Poor Citizens Vote for Redistribution, Against Immigration, or Against the Establishment? A Conjoint Experiment in Denmark, Scandinavian Political Studies, 41(3), 263-282.
Marx, P. & Nguyen, C. (2018), Political Participation in European Welfare States: Does Social Investment Matter?, Journal of European Public Policy, 25(6), 912-943.
Emmenegger, P., Marx, P. & Schraff, D. (2017), Off to a Bad Start: Unemployment and Political Interest during Early Adulthood, Journal of Politics, 79(1), 315–328.
Marx, P. & Starke, P. (2017), Dualization as Destiny? The Political Economy of the German Minimum Wage Reform, Politics & Society, 45(4), 559-584.
Dräger, V. & Marx, P. (2017), Do Firms Demand Temporary Workers When They Face Workload Fluctuation? Cross-Country Firm-Level Evidence, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 70(4), 942–975.
Emmenegger, P., Marx, P. & Schraff, D. (2017), Jugendarbeitslosigkeit und politische Sozialisation. Eine Längsschnittstudie unter Berücksichtigung von Persönlichkeitseffekten, Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 46(3), 201-218.
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Wehner, C. (2017), Labor Market Reforms in Europe. Towards more Flexicure Labor Markets?, Journal for Labour Market Research, 51(3).
Gallego, A. & Marx, P. (2017), Multi-Dimensional Preferences for Labor Market Reforms: A Conjoint Experiment, Journal of European Public Policy, 24(7), 1027-1047.
Marx, P. & Nguyen, C. (2016), Are the Unemployed Less Politically Involved? A Comparative Study of Internal Political Efficacy, European Sociological Review, 32(5), 634-648.
Marx, P. (2016), The Insider-Outsider Divide and Economic Voting. Testing a New Theory with German Electoral Data, Socio-Economic Review, 14(1), 97-118.
Marx, P. & Schumacher, G. (2016), The Effect of Economic Change and Elite Framing on Support for Welfare State Retrenchment: A Survey Experiment, Journal of European Social Policy, 26(1), 20-31.
Emmenegger, P., Marx, P. & Schraff, D. (2015), Labor Market Disadvantage, Political Orientations and Voting: How Adverse Labour Market Experiences Translate into Electoral Behaviour, Socio-Economic Review, 13(2), 189-213.
Emmenegger, P., Kvist, J., Marx, P. & Petersen, K. (2015), Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism: The Making of a Classic, Journal of European Social Policy, 25(1), 3-13.
Guillaud, E. & Marx, P. (2014) Preferences for Employment Protection and the Insider-Outsider Divide: Evidence from France, West European Politics, 37(5), 1177-1185.
Marx, P. (2014), Labour Market Risks and Political Preferences: The Case of Temporary Employment, European Journal of Political Research, 53(1), 136–159.
Marx, P. (2014), The Effect of Job Insecurity and Employability on Preferences for Redistribution in Western Europe, Journal of European Social Policy, 24(4), 351-366.
Davidsson, J.B. & Marx, P. (2013), Losing the Issue, Losing the Vote: Issue competition and the Reform of Unemployment Insurance in Germany and Sweden. Political Studies, 61(3), 505-522.
Marx, P. & Picot, G. (2013), The Party Preferences of Atypical Workers in Germany. Journal of European Social Policy, 23(2), 164-178.
Marx, P. & Schumacher, G. (2013), Will to Power? Intra-party Conflict in Social Democratic Parties and the Choice for Neoliberal Policies in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain (1980-2010). European Political Science Review, 5(1), 151-173.
Marx, P. (2012), Labour Market Dualisation in France. Assessing Different Explanatory Approaches. European Societies, 14(5), 704-726.
Emmenegger, P. & Marx, P. (2011), Business and the Development of Job Security Regulations: The Case of Germany. Socio-Economic Review, 9(4), 729-756.
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2011), Reforming German Labour Market Institutions: A Dual Path to Flexibility. Journal of European Social Policy, 21(1), 73-87.
Marx, P. & Picot, G. (2011), Die sozialpolitischen Präferenzen der Mittelschicht: Antriebskraft oder Bremse?. Sozialer Fortschritt, 60(12), 289-295.
Eichhorst, W., Feil, M. & Marx, P. (2010), Crisis, What Crisis? Patterns of Adaptation in European Labor Markets. Applied Economics Quarterly Supplement, 56(61), 29-64.
Book chapters
Marx, P. (forthcoming), Social Solidarity in the Age of the Internet. In: M. Busemeyer, A. Kemmerling, P. Marx & K. van Kersbergen (ed.), Digitalization and the Welfare State, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Emmenegger, P. & Marx, P. (forthcoming), The Regulation of Employment. In: D. Béland, K. Morgan, H. Obinger & C. Pierson (ed.), Oxford Handbook of the Welfare State. 2nd Edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Marx, P. (2020), The Political Integration of the Middle Class. In. E. Jones (ed.), European Studies. Past, Present and Future, Newcastle, Agenda Publishing, 87-91.
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2019), Der Wandel der Arbeitswelt als Herausforderung für die Sozialpolitik. In: H. Obinger & M. G. Schmidt (ed.), Handbuch Sozialpolitik, Wiesbaden, Springer VS, 409-430.
Emmenegger, P. & Marx, P. (2019), Regulierung der Arbeitswelt: Der Kündigungsschutz. In: H. Obinger & M. G. Schmidt (ed.), Handbuch Sozialpolitik, Wiesbaden, Springer VS, 679-718.
Marx, P. (2019), Beschäftigungsunsicherheit, politisches Wissen und Beteiligung – theoretische Überlegungen und eine explorative Studie. In: B. Westle & M. Tausendpfund (ed.), Politisches Wissen. Relevanz, Messung und Befunde, Wiesbaden, Springer VS, 121-144.
Marx, P. & Françon, B. (2015), Occupational Employment Patterns in a Highly Regulated Labour Market: The Case of France. In: W. Eichhorst & P. Marx (ed.), Non-standard Employment in Post-industrial Labour Markets: An Occupational Perspective, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 89-109.
Eichhorst, W.,Marx, P. & Tobsch, V. (2015), Non-standard Employment across Occupations in Germany: The Role of Replaceability and Labour Market Flexibility. In: W. Eichhorst & P. Marx (ed.), Non-standard Employment in Post-industrial Labour Markets: An Occupational Perspective, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 29-51.
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2015), Introduction. In: W. Eichhorst & P. Marx (ed.), Non-standard Employment in Post-industrial Labour Markets: An Occupational Perspective, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 1-28.
Marx, P. & Picot, G. (2014), Labour Market Policies and Party Preferences of Fixed-term Workers. In: S. Kumlin & I. Stadelmann-Steffen, I. (ed.), How Welfare States Shape the Democratic Public: Policy Feedback, Participation, Voting, and Attitudes, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 113-131.
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2012), Whatever Works: Dualisation and the Service Economy in Bismarckian Welfare States. In: P. Emmenegger, S. Häusermann, M. Seeleib-Kaiser & B. Palier (ed.), The Age of Dualization: The Changing Face of Inequality in Deindustrializing Societies, Oxford; New York, Oxford University Press, 73-99.
Eichhorst, W., Konle-Seidl, R., Koslowski, A. & Marx, P. (2011), Quantity over Quality? A European Comparison of the Changing Nature of Transitions Between Non-Employment and Employment. In: J. Clasen & D. Clegg (ed.), Regulating the Risk of Unemployment. National Adaptations to Post-Industrial Labour Markets in Europe, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 281-296.
Research reports
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Rinne, U. (2020), Short-Run Labor Market Impacts of COVID-19, Initial Policy Measures and Beyond (IZA COVID-19 Crisis Response Monitoring).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P., Schmidt, T., Tobsch, V., Wozny, F. & Linckh, C. (2019), Geringqualifizierte in Deutschland Beschäftigung, Entlohnung und Erwerbsverläufe im Wandel. IZA Research Report No. 91 (study for Bertelsmann Stiftung).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P., Broughton, A. de Beer, P., Linckh, C. & Bassani, G. (2018), Mitigating Labour Market Dualism: Single Open-Ended Contracts and Other Instruments (study for the European Parliament).
Marx, P. (2015), Measures to Address Labour Market Segmentation (study for the European Commission).
Eichhorst, W., Hinz, T., Marx, P. Peichl, A., Pestel, N., Siegloch, S., Thode, E. & Tobsch, V. (2011), Geringfügige Beschäftigung: Situation und Gestaltungsoptionen. IZA Research Report No. 31 (study for Bertelsmann-Stiftung).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Tobsch, V. (2011), Schulergänzende Betreuung für Kinder: Status Quo und Beschäftigungswirkung. IZA Research Report No. 37 (study for “Zukunftsrat Familie”).
Eichhorst, W. & Marx, P. (2011), Zur Reform des deutschen Kündigungsschutzes. IZA Research Report No. 36 (study for DIHK).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Tobsch, V. (2011), Familienfreundliche flexible Arbeitszeiten - ein Baustein zur Bewältigung des Fachkräftemangels. IZA Research Report No. 33 (study for Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Pastore, J. (2011), The Use of Flexible Measures to Cope with Economic Crises in Germany and Brazil. IZA Discussion Paper No. 6137.
Eichhorst, W., Escudero, V., Marx, P. & Tobin, S. (2010), The Impact of the Crisis on Employment and the Role of Labour Market Institutions. International Institute for Labour Studies Discussion Paper 202.
Eichhorst, W., Dolls, M., Marx, P. Peichl, A., Ederer, S., Leoni, T., Marterbauer, M., Trockner, L., Basso, G., Gerard, M., Vanhoren, I. & Nielsen, C. (2010), The Role of Social Protection as an Economic Stabiliser: Lessons from the Current Crisis. IZA Research Report No. 31 (study for the European Parliament).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Thode, E. (2010), Atypische Beschäftigung und Niedriglohnarbeit. IZA Research Report No. 25 (study for Bertelsmann-Stiftung).
Eichhorst, W., Devisscher, S., Leoni, T., Marx, P., Mühlberger, U., Schulte, B. & Vandeweghe, B. (2010), Analysis of the Social Agendas. IZA Research Report No. 24 (study for the European Parliament).
Eichhorst, W., Marx, P. & Thode, E. (2009), Arbeitsmarkt und Beschäftigung in Deutschland 2000-2009: Beschäftigungserfolge bei steigender Differenzierung. IZA Research Report No. 22 (study for Bertelsmann-Stiftung).
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Projects
Social emotions and the experience of politics in everyday life (2021-24)
Funded by German Research Foundation (225.000 EUR)
The primary goal of the project is to advance our theoretical understanding of why people engage in political behaviors. It does so by developing a theoretical perspective in which the motivation to express political preferences derives from emotional dynamics in mundane micro-level interactions (or ‘rituals’). The core (and novel) idea is that the situational quality of social interactions has an independent causal influence on political preference - as well as on the motivation to translate them into political actions.
Theoretically, the project will propose a relational perspective that builds on the radical micro sociology of Randall Collins. The central intuition is that cognitions, such as political attitudes, derive their motivational force from positive emotions that can only be generated through the entrainment in rhythmically coordinated interactions. It will go beyond applying Collins’s micro theory to politics and also address the question of how political rituals are embedded in societal discourses and ideologies. As a result, the project will deliver an original theory that simultaneously gives justice to situational micro dynamics as well as to factors on the macro level.
The second goal is to explore whether such a perspective provides empirical added value. It will strike a balance between a qualitative approach (that aims at an understanding of the emotional dynamics in political rituals) and causality-oriented research (that tests whether interaction quality influences the expression of preferences). It does so by using focus groups as sites for qualitative observation, quantitative measurement, and experimental manipulation of political rituals.
Key Publications:
Marx, P. (2019), Should We Study Political Behaviour as Rituals? Towards a General Micro Theory of Politics in Everyday Life, Rationality and Society, 31(3), 313–336.
Labour market policy and inequality in the Global South (2021-2023)
In two related projects, I address the question of how cultural factors and labour market policy influence unequal employment patterns in countries outside the OECD. In collaboration with the World Bank, I study the factors explaining the high share young women not in employment, education or training (NEET) in Bangladesh. Relying on surveys and vignette experiments, we address the question of how to overcome negative attitudes toward female labor force participation. With innovative experimental designs, we aim at unearthing the social processes underpinning the detrimental effects of gender norms. Specifically, we address the question of whether social cues from individuals' reference networks influence their support for working women.
In the context of the ILO COVID-19 Policy Review, I collaborate with the International Labour Organization and the IZA - Institute of Labor Economics on tracking and assessing labour market and social policy reactions to the Corona pandemic in a large number of countries including the Global South. This complements the IZA Crisis Response Monitoring in high-income countries, which I am involved in. Besides high policy relevance, our data collection will allow addressing important academic research questions, for example regarding the global diffusion of social policy.
Related IZA Policy Papers:
Community-based, sustainable public policy (2020-24)
Funded by Mercator Foundation (186.000 EUR)
The influence of socio-economic problems on political integration (2017-22)
Funded by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Culture and Science (1.250.000 EUR)
The project addresses the question of how individual socio-economic problems, such as poverty, long-term unemployment or job insecurity, contribute to political apathy or radicalization. These socio-economic problems are widespread in many European societies. At the same time, there are indications that the uneven distribution of income and life chances might contribute to eroding the legitimacy of democracies. On the one hand, radical parties seem to benefit from frustration about economic conditions. On the other hand, there is a trend towards political apathy that is especially pronounced among people affected by social problems. Socio-economic factors thus seem to contribute to a political crisis expressed in political disenchantment and ideological polarization. Given the cost pressures on welfare states, globalization, immigration and radical technological change, it is more than likely that that (real or perceived) precariousness will continue to shape European societies in the future. Against this background, the aim of the project is a better understanding of the link between individual socio-economic problems and political behavior (in particular, participation in elections and party preferences). Although this link is a classical topic in Political Sociology, we still know little about why economic problems diminish political integration. The same is true for the question under which conditions such problems contribute to apathy, pragmatic political demands or radicalization.
The project addresses these questions with a highly interdisciplinary approach and a combination of different research methods (including ethnography, experiments, and longitudinal studies).
Key publications:
Jungkunz, S. & Marx, P. (2022), Income changes do not influence political involvement in panel data from six countries, European Journal of Political Research, 61(3), 829-841.
Marx, P. (2020), Anti-Elite Politics and Emotional Reactions to Socio-Economic Problems. Experimental Evidence on ‘Pocketbook Anger’ from France, Germany, and the United States, British Journal of Sociology, 71(4), 608–624.
Marx, P. & Nguyen, C. (2018), Anti-Elite Parties and Political Inequality: How Challenges to the Political Mainstream Reduce Income Gaps in Internal Efficacy, European Journal of Political Research, 57(4), 919-940.
Emmenegger, P., Marx, P. & Schraff, D. (2017), Off to a Bad Start: Unemployment and Political Interest during Early Adulthood, Journal of Politics, 79(1), 315–328.
The political preferences of temporary workers (2012-14)
Funded by Carlsberg Foundation (150.000 EUR)
Do workers on temporary contracts differ in their political preferences and behaviors from workers on permanent contracts? To answer this overarching question, the project combined insights from psychology, electoral studies and labor market sociology in innovative ways. Temporary workers are among the most vulnerable labor market participants. It is important for the quality of our democracies that such citizens are adequately represented in their interests. Otherwise we risk a ‘double exclusion’ (politically and economically). The research project showed that temporary workers are not generally alienated from politics, although they tend to prefer more radical parties (mostly on the left). A core finding is that much depends on workers’ subjective appraisal of their situation. Temporary workers often perceive themselves as a disadvantaged group compared to permanent workers, which can lead to frustration and resentment. They are also more likely to blame governments for their situation, arguably because their institutionalized disadvantage has a visible political origin. As a result, temporary workers indeed tend to withdraw from politics, but only if there is no hope of making transitions into better jobs.
Key publications:
Marx, P. (2016), The Insider-Outsider Divide and Economic Voting. Testing a New Theory with German Electoral Data, Socio-Economic Review, 14(1), 97-118.
Marx, P. (2015), The Political Behaviour of Temporary Workers, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Marx, P. (2014), Labour Market Risks and Political Preferences: The Case of Temporary Employment, European Journal of Political Research, 53(1), 136–159.