Dieser Aufsatz beschäftigt sich mit der Erhebung und Analyse von Gruppendiskussionen in der Politikwissenschaft. Er definiert diese Methode und beschreibt ihre Durchführung. Weiterhin gibt er einen Überblick über die verschiedenen Methodentraditionen der Gruppendiskussionen in der...

Im deutschen Wohlfahrtsstaat findet eine intergenerationale Umverteilung statt, welche wegen der gesellschaftlichen Alterung angepasst werden muss, so dass Generationenverhältnisse politisch relevant werden. Wie nehmen Bürger den Sozialstaat und Generationenverhältnisse in der alternden...

When studying individuals, when is the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods better than just one method alone? Whereas the debate in macro-level research, such as in political science about comparing nations, has made progress in identifying meaningful logics for a combination of...

There is a large and growing literature on welfare state attitudes, most of which is built on random-sample population surveys with standardised closed-question items. This article criticises the existing survey instruments, especially those that are used within the International Social Survey...

Is there an antagonism between young and old in the electoral arena that could lead to the obstruction of welfare-state reforms? This article argues that this notion is a myth and lacks empirical evidence for the case of Germany. It is true that (a) there are imminent majorities of voters aged...

The new EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe achieved an economic and political tour de force on their way to EU accession. Their next challenge is the entry to the eurozone. Thus, the dynamics of public opinion toward the euro become crucial for political leaders. We test three...

This paper is about the relative impact of retirement and social class on individual attitudes towards welfare state policies in advanced industrial democracies. Which factor is more important in explaining individuals' social policy preferences: socio-economic background or retirement? How can...