As a Professor of Comparative Politics I specialize in citizens and politics, political parties, (failing) representation and political change in Europen democracies.

My work focuses on understanding how and in what way representation is failing or succeeding, This includes the analysis of how party systems evolve, how voter behaviour shifts, and how these dynamics shape political stability and governance across European democracies, particularly in Germany, France, and the European Union. Alongside my academic work, I engage in policy-relevant analysis on political developments in Europe, translating comparative political research into insights relevant for public debate and institutional decision-making.
I am Assistant Professor of Comparative Politics (with tenure) at the American University of Paris and also an Associate Researcher at Sciences Po Paris and at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB, Center for Civil Society Research). 

Trained at Sciences Po Paris (PhD), my academic path has taken me through the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence where I was awarded a Max Weber Fellowship and the University of Oxford, Nuffield College & Department of Politics and International Relations (OxPo Fellow). Before joining AUP, I was a Researcher and Lecturer (Habilitationsstelle) at Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Social and Political Science and chercheuse invitée at the Paris School of Economics (invited by Jean-François Laslier and Thomas Piketty). 

I have an interdisciplinary background, holding degrees in Political Science, Economics and Empirical Social and Political Analysis. My work bridges these fields to show how, and why, democratic systems succeed or fail to represent those they govern. My research and teaching focus on comparative politics with an emphasis on party system transformation, political behaviour, and political change in advanced democracies. I am particularly interested in the dynamics shaping contemporary European politics, including electoral realignment, political polarization, and (failing) representation..
I regularly contribute to policy-oriented debates, training and expert formats with European and national institutions.

This includes participation in expert panels, roundtables, briefings and engagement with  institutions, ministries, think tanks and foundations (for instance the Foreign Ministry of Germany, the Saint Omer Foundation for Transatlantic Values or the Bertelsmann Stiftung) on questions related to political change, democratic stability, democracy & AI, democratic innovations and citizen panels.

I train serving diplomats and public officials (from Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Prime Minister Office, line ministries, and cabinet advisors) from the EU member states and the EU enlargement region. This programme is set up by the European Diplomatic Academy, the European Commission and the EU Diplomatic Program for the Enlargement region at the College of Europe. The sessions explore public opinion about European integration and EU enlargement and their implications for policies, politics and political stability. 

My role in these settings is to provide comparative, research-based analysis that supports a deeper understanding of ongoing political developments and their implications for governance and policy.
Most recent publications - lectures - outreach:

"European integration and EU enlargement: Public Opinion, Policy (and Politics?)", lecture for the European Academy of Diplomacy and the EU Diplomatic Programme for the Enlargement Region (EUDP), supported by the European Commission, College of Europe, Bruges, June 2026.

Dageförde, Mirjam (2024): Do they get close? Party shifts and changes in parliamentary congruence on multiple issue dimensions in the wake of the crises. In: Representation 60 (3): 507-533. 

Jérôme Lang, Jean-François Laslier, Mirjam Dageförde (2025): Élections : pourquoi la proportionnelle à l’allemande devrait inspirer la France. In: The Conversation France. 20 février 2025.

"The conflict of human values in Europe", lecture on invitation of the Fondation Saint Omer Valeurs Transatlantiques, February 2025.

Dageförde, Mirjam (2024): Repräsentation und das Verhältnis von Bürgern und Politik in Deutschland und Frankreich. In: Die Gesellschaften Europas und ihre Zukunft. Ein Blick auf die Herausforderungen unserer Zeit. Frankreich Jahrbuch 2023. Eds: Deutsch-Französisches Institut Ludwigsburg; Stefan Seidendorf. Baden-Baden: Nomos, S. 185-204.