Professor Kurt Richard Luther

Title: Professor of Comparative Politics
Phone: +44 (0)1782 733482
Email:
Location: CBA 1.007
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Contacting me:
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I am Professor of Comparative Politics at Keele University and currently a Visiting Professor of Politics at the University of Vienna. I am the Convenor of the Keele European Parties Research Unit (KEPRU) and of the Parties Standing Group of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). In 2009, the Austrian Federal President awarded me the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Arts.

Myresearch falls in the broad field of Comparative Politics. It has embraced topics such asfederalism, consociational democracy, aspects of European integration and political parties and party systems. My current research focuses mainly on political parties, including theirorganization, their role in deeply divided societies and party competition. I was recently part of a successful major ESRC-funded project (hosted by the Keele European Parties Research Unit- KEPRU) on the impact of European integration on the internal organization of national political parties throughout Western Europe. I continue to research into the organizational adaptation of radical right-wing parties and into the strategies of those parties and of their competitors, as well as to specialize on Austrian party politics. I am a member of a recently-formed international research network on left-wing parties and trade unions.

Selected Publications

  • Luther KR. 2012. social Partnership: A central political Design Factor in the Second Republic. GERMAN POLITICS, vol. 21(4), 526-528. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 2011. Of goals and own goals: A case study of right-wing populist party strategy for and during incumbency. Party Politics, vol. 17(4), 453-470. link> doi>
  • Bale T, Green-Pedersen C, Krouwel A, Luther KR, Sitter N. 2010. If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them? Explaining Social Democratic Responses to the Challenge from the Populist Radical Right in Western Europe. Political Studies, vol. 58(3), 410-426. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 2009. Governing with right-wing populists and managing the consequences: Schüssel and the FPÖ. In The Schussel Era in Austria. Bischof G and Plasser F (Eds.). New Orleans, Luisiana: University of New Orleans Press.
  • Luther KR. 2009. Austrian History. In Western Europe 2010. Publications E (Ed.). Routledge.

Full Publications List show

Books

  • Poguntke T, Aylott N, Carter E, Ladrech R, Luther KR. Poguntke P, Aylott N, Carter E, Ladrech R (Eds.). 2007. The Europeanization of National Political Parties: Power and Organizational Adaptation. Abingdon: Routledge.
  • Luther KR and Müller-Rommel F. Luther KR and Müller-Rommel F (Eds.). 2002. Political Parties in The New Europe. Political and Analytical Challenges. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Luther KR and Deschouwer K. Luther KR and Deschouwer K (Eds.). 1999. Party elites in divided societies. Political parties in consociational democracy. Routledge.
  • Luther KR and Pulzer PGJ. Luther KR and Pulzer PGJ (Eds.). 1998. Austria 1945-95. Fifty years of the Second Republic. Ashgate Publishing.
  • Luther KR and Ogilvie I. Luther KR and Ogilvie I (Eds.). 1998. Austria and the European Union presidency. background and perspectives. Keele European Research Centre, Keele University.
  • Luther KR and Müller WC. 1992. Politics in Austria. Still a case of consociationalism?. Routledge.

Journal Articles

  • Luther KR. 2012. social Partnership: A central political Design Factor in the Second Republic. GERMAN POLITICS, vol. 21(4), 526-528. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 2011. Of goals and own goals: A case study of right-wing populist party strategy for and during incumbency. Party Politics, vol. 17(4), 453-470. link> doi>
  • Bale T, Green-Pedersen C, Krouwel A, Luther KR, Sitter N. 2010. If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them? Explaining Social Democratic Responses to the Challenge from the Populist Radical Right in Western Europe. Political Studies, vol. 58(3), 410-426. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 2009. The Revival of the Radical Right: The Austrian Parliamentary Election of 2008. WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS, vol. 32(5), 1049-1061. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 2008. The 2006 Austrian parliamentary election: From bipolarism to forced marriage. WEST EUROPEAN POLITICS, vol. 31(5), 1004-1015. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 2008. Towards Stratarchy? European Integration and the Intra-party Power of Austrian MEPs and Delegation Leaders. Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Politikwissenschaft, vol. 37(3), 253-272. link>
  • Poguntke T, Aylott N, Ladrech R, Luther KR. 2007. The Europeanisation of national party organisations: A conceptual analysis. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, vol. 46(6), 747-771. link> doi>
  • Sherrington P and Luther KR. 2005. Austria's European Union Presidency: Mountains to Climb. The World Today, vol. 61(12), 21-22.
  • Luther KR. 2003. The self-destruction of a right-wing populist party? The Austrian Parliamentary Election of 2002. West European Politics, vol. 26(2), 136-152. doi>
  • Luther KR. 2000. Austria: A democracy under threat from the Freedom Party?. PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, vol. 53(3), 426-442. link> doi>
  • Luther KR. 1995. An End to the Politics of Isolation? Austria in Light of the 1994 Elections. German Politics, vol. 4(1), 122-140. doi>
  • Luther KR. Austria’s Future and Waldheim’s Past: the Significance of the 1986 Elections. West European Politics, vol. 10(3), 379-399. doi>
  • Luther KR and Müller WC. Austrian Consociationalism: Victim of its own success?. West European Politics, vol. 15(1), 201-206. doi>
  • Luther KR and Müller WC. Consociationalism and the Austrian political system. West European Politics, vol. 15(1), 3-27. doi>
  • Luther KR. Consociationalism, parties and the party system. West European Politics, vol. 15(1), 45-98. doi>
  • Luther KR. Des piliers et des voûtes de l’architecture politique autrichienne. Revue International Des Politiques Comparée, vol. 4, 531-559.
  • Luther KR. Dimensions of party system change: The case of Austria. West European Politics, vol. 12(4), 3-27. doi>
  • Luther KR, Frognier AP, Hasting M, Mayer N, Swyngedouw M. 1998. Le développement de l'extrême-droite en Europe de l'Ouest, Forum. Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée, vol. 5(2), 445-465.
  • Luther KR. Small and new, but nonetheless competent: Austria and the EU Presidency. Journal of Common Market Studies, vol. 37(1), 65-67. doi>

Chapters

  • Luther KR. 2009. Governing with right-wing populists and managing the consequences: Schüssel and the FPÖ. In The Schussel Era in Austria. Bischof G and Plasser F (Eds.). New Orleans, Luisiana: University of New Orleans Press.
  • Luther KR. 2009. Austrian History. In Western Europe 2010. Publications E (Ed.). Routledge.
  • Luther KR. 2009. Austria. In Political Parties of the World. Sagar DJ (Ed.). (7th ed.). John Harper Pub.
  • Luther KL. 2008. Austrian History. In Western Europe 2009. Love J (Ed.). (6th ed.). Europa Publications.
  • Luther KL. 2008. Electoral Strategies and Performance of Austrian Right-Wing Populism, 1986-2006. In The Changing Austrian Voter: 16 (Contemporary Austrian Studies). Bischof GPF (Ed.). Transaction Publishers.
  • Carter E, Luther KR, Poguntke T. 2007. European Integration and Internal Party Dynamics. In The Europeanization of National Political Parties: Power and Organizational Adaptation. Poguntke T, Aylott N, Carter E, Ladrech R, Luther KR (Eds.). Abingdon: Routledge.
  • LUTHER KR. 2007. Structural adjustment and incumbent elite empowerment: Austrian parties' adaptation to European integration. In The Europeanization of National Political Parties: Power and Organizational Adaptation. Poguntke T, Aylott N, Carter E, Ladrech R, Luther KR (Eds.). Routledge.
  • LUTHER KR. 2007. Wahlstrategien und Wahlergebnisse des Rechtspopulismus, 1986-2006. In Wechselwahlen. Analysen zur Nationalratswahl 2006. Plasser F (Ed.). facultas.wuv Universitäts.
  • LUTHER K. 2006. Strategien und (Fehl-)Verhalten: Die Freiheitlichen und die Regierungen Schussel I und II. In Schwarz - Blau. Eine Bilanz des "Neu-Regierens". Tálos E (Ed.). LIT-Verlag.
  • Luther KR. 2003. The FPÖ: from populist protest to incumbency. In Right-Wing Extremism in the Twenty-First Century. Merkl P and Weinberg L (Eds.). Frank Cass, London.
  • Luther KR and Müller-Rommel F. 2002. Parties and party research in the New Europe. In Political Parties in the New Europe. Political and Analytical Challenge. Luther KR and Müller-Rommel F (Eds.). Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Luther KR and Müller-Rommel F. 2002. Political parties in a changing Europe. In Political Parties in the New Europe. Political and Analytical Challenges. Luther KR and Müller-Rommel F (Eds.). Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • Luther KR. 2001. Consociatioanlism. In Encyclopedia of democratic thought. Clarke PAB and Foweraker J (Eds.). Taylor & Francis.
  • Luther KR. 2001. Parteistrategische Herausforderungen der Regierungsbeteiligung: Die FPÖ vor und nach ihrem Eintritt in die Bundesregierung. In Anlassfall Österreich: Die Europäische Union auf dem Weg zu einer Wertegemeinschaft. Karlhofer F, Melchior J, Sickinger H (Eds.).
  • Luther KR. 1999. A framework for the comparative analysis of political parties and party systems in consociational democracy. In Party elites in divided societies. Political parties in consociational democracy. Luther KR and Deschouwer K (Eds.). Routledge.
  • Luther KR. 1999. From moderate to polarized pluralism? The Austrian party system in transition. In Changing party systems in Western Europe. Broughton D and Donovan M (Eds.). Pinter Pub Ltd.
  • Luther KR. 1999. Must what goes up always come down? Of pillars and arches in Austria’s political architecture. In Party elites in divided societies. Political parties in consociational democracy. Luther KR and Deschouwer K (Eds.). Routledge.
  • Luther KR and Deschouwer K. 1999. Prudent leadership to successful adaptation? Pillar parties and consociational democracy thirty years on. In Party elites in divided societies. Political parties in consociational democracy. Luther KR and Deschouwer K (Eds.).
  • Luther KR. 1999. The Austrian Social Democratic Party. In Social democratic parties in the European Union. Ladrech R and Marlière P (Eds.). Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Luther KR. 1999. The politics of asymmetrical change: Austrian parties during the “Vranitzky Era". In The Vranitzky era in Austria. Bischof G, Pelinka A, Karlhofer F (Eds.). Transaction Pub.
  • Luther KR. 1998. From accommodation to competition: the ‘normalisation’ of the Austrian party system?. In Austria 1945-95. Fifty years of the Second Republic. Luther KR and Pulzer PGJ (Eds.). Ashgate Publishing.
  • Luther KR. 1998. From West European periphery to the centre of Europe?. In Austria and the European Union presidency. Background and perspectives. Luther KR and Ogilvie I (Eds.). Keele European Research Center Keele University.
  • Luther KR and Ogilvie I. 1998. Public attitudes to European integration: Is the honeymoon over?. In Austria and the European Union presidency. Background and perspectives. Luther KR and Ogilvie I (Eds.). Keele European Research Centre Keele University.
  • Luther KR. 1997. Bund-Länder Beziehungen: Formal- und Realverfassung. In Handbuch des politischen Systems Österreichs. Die zweite Republik. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Gottweis H, Kramer H, Lauber V, Müller WC, Tálos E (Eds.).
  • Luther KR. 1997. Die Freiheitlichen. In Handbuch des politischen Systems Österreichs. Die zweite Republik. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Gottweis H, Kramer H, Lauber V, Müller WC, Tálos E (Eds.).
  • Luther KR. 1995. Friedrich Peter. In Die Politiker. Karrieren und Wirken bedeutender Repräsentanten der zweiten Republik. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Müller WC (Eds.). Vienna: Manz.
  • Luther KR. 1995. Norbert Steger. In Die Politiker. Karrieren und Wirken bedeutender Repräsentanten der zweiten Republik. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Müller WC (Eds.). Vienna: Manz.
  • Luther KR. 1995. Zwischen unkritischer Selbstdarstellung und bedingungsloser externer Verurteilung: Nazivergangenheit, Anti-Semitismus und Holocaust im Schrifttum der Freiheitlichen Partei Österreichs. In Schwieriges Erbe. Der Umgang mit Nationalsozialismus und Antisemitismus in Österreich, der DDR und der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Bergmann W, Erb R, Lichtblau A (Eds.). Frankfurt: Campus Verlag.
  • Luther KR. 1991. Bund-Länder Beziehungen: Formal- und Realverfassung. In Handbuch des politischen Systems Österreichs. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Gottweis H, Horner F, Kramer H, Lauber V, Müller WC, Tálos E (Eds.). Vienna: Manz.
  • Luther KR. 1991. Die Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs. In Handbuch des politischen Systems Österreichs. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Gottweis H, Horner F, Kramer H, Lauber V, Müller WC, Tálos E (Eds.). Vienna: Manz.
  • Luther KR. 1986. The Revitalization of Federalism and Federation in Austria. In Federalism and Federation in Western Europe. Burgess MD (Ed.). Beckenham: Croom Helm.
  • Luther KR. 2005. Die Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) und das Bündnis Zukunft Österreich (BZÖ). In Politik in Österreich. Ein Handbuch. Dachs H, Gerlich P, Gottweis H, Kramer H, Lauber V, Müller WC, Tálos E (Eds.). Vienna: Manz.

Other

  • Luther KR. 1998. From accommodation to competition: The 'normalization' of the Second Republic's party system?. AUSTRIA 1945-95 (pp. 121-158). link>
  • Comparative Political Analysis
  • German Government and Politics
  • Political Parties: Origins and Organization
  • Party Systems and Elections
  • Right-Wing Radical Parties in Western Europe
  • Comparative European Politics

Publications:

  • Bale, T., Green-Pedersen, C., Krouwel, A., Luther, K. R. and Sitter, N. (2010) 'If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them? Explaining Social Democratic Responses to the Challenge from the Populist Radical Right in Western Europe', Political Studies, 5(3): 410-426
  • Luther, K. R. (2009) Governing with right-wing populists and managing the consequences: Schüssel and the FPÖ, in: G. Bischof and F. Plasser (eds) The Schüssel Years in Austria (New Orleans: University of New Orleans Press), 79-118
  • Luther, K. R. (2009) 'The revival of the radical right: The Austrian parliamentary election of 2008', West European Politics, 32, pp. 1049-1061.
  • Luther, K. R. (2009) Austria, in: D. Sagar, (ed.) Political Parties of the World (London, John Harper Publishing), 7th edn, pp.28-35.
  • Luther, K. R. (2009) Austrian History, in J. Love, (ed), Western Europe 2010, 12th edition (London: Routledge), 68-75
  • Luther, K. R. (2008) ‘Towards stratarchy? European integration and the intra-party power of Austrian MEPs and delegation leaders’, Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, 37/3, 253-272.
  • Luther, K. R. (2008) ‘The Austrian parliamentary election of 2006: From bipolarism to forced marriage?, West European Politics, 31/5, 1005-1015.
  • Luther, K. R. (2008) 'Electoral Strategies and Performances of Austrian Right-wing Populism, 1986-2006', in Gunter Bischof and Fritz Plasser (eds.) The Changing Austrian Voter. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 104-122.
  • Poguntke, T. Aylott, N, Ladrech, R. and Luther, K. R. (2007) 'The Europeanization of national party organizations. A conceptual analysis', European Journal for Political Research, 46/6, 747-771
  • Poguntke, T, Aylott, N., Carter, E. and Ladrech, R. (2007) (eds) The Europeanization of National Political Parties: Power and Organizational Adaptation, London, Routledge.
  • Luther, K. R. (2006) ‘Wahlstrategien und Wahlergebnisse des österreichischen Rechtspopulismus, 1986-2006’, in Fritz Plasser and Peter A. Ulram (eds) Wechselwahlen. Analysen zur Nationalratswahl, Vienna: facultas.wuv, 231-254.
  • Luther, K. R. (2006) 'Strategien und (Fehl-)Verhalten: Die Freiheitlichen und die Regierungen Schüssel I und II', in Emmerich Tálos, (ed.), Umbau in Schwarz-Blau (-Orange). Eine Bilanz, Vienna: Lit Verlag,19-37.
  • Luther, K. R. (2006) 'Die Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) und das Bündnis Zukunft Österreich (BZÖ)' in Herbert Dachs, Peter Gerlich, Herbert Gottweis, Helmut Kramer, Volkmar Lauber, Wolfgang C. Müller and Emmerich Tálos (eds), Politik in Österreich. Ein Handbuch, Vienna: Manz, 364-388.
  • Luther, K. R. and Müller-Rommel, F. (eds) (2005) Political Parties in the New Europe: Political and Analytical Challenges, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2nd edition.
  • Luther, K. R. (2003) 'The FPÖ: From Populist Protest to Incumbency', in Peter Merkl and Leonard Weinberg (eds) Right-Wing Extremism in the Twenty-First Century, London: Frank Cass, 191-219.
  • Luther, K. R. (2003) 'The Self-Destruction of a Right-Wing Populist Party? The Austrian Parliamentary Elections of 2002', West European Politics, 26/2, 136-152.
  • Luther, K. R. (2001) 'Parteistrategische Herausforderungen der Regierungsbeteiligung: Die FPÖ vor und nach ihrer Regierungsbeteiligung', Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, Special Issue on Anlassfall Österreich: Die Europäische Union auf dem Weg zu einer Wertegemeinschaft, Nomos: Baden-Baden, 69-88.
  • Luther, K. R. (2000) 'Austria: A Democracy under Threat from the Freedom Party?', Parliamentary Affairs, 53/3, 426-442.
  • Luther, K. R. and Deschouwer, K. (eds) (1999) Political Elites in Divided Societies: Political Parties in Consociational Democracy London: Routledge,
  • Luther, K. R. (1999) 'From Moderate to Polarized Pluralism? The Austrian party system in transition', in David Broughton & Mark Donovan (eds), Changing Party Systems in Western Europe, London: Pinter, 118-142.
  • Luther, K. R. and Ogilvie, I, (eds) (1998) Austria and the European Union Presidency: Background and Perspectives, Keele: Keele European Research Centre.
  • Luther, K. R. and Pulzer, P. (edS) (1998) Austria 1945-95: Fifty Years of the Second Republic, London: Ashgate.
  • Luther, K. R. and Müller, W. C. (1992) Politics in Austria: Still a Case of Consociationalism?, London: Frank Cass, (This volume also appeared as a special issue of West European Politics, 15 (1).)

I am happy to receive enquiries from prospective research students wishing to work in the broad field of Comparative Politics. In particular, I would welcome supervising students interested in researching the following topics:

  • Comparative European Politics
  • Political Parties (including party organization and strategy)
  • Parties in Deeply-divided Societies
  • Party Competition
  • ‘Right-wing Radical’, ‘Populist’ and other types of ‘Anti-establishment’ party
  • The Politics of the German-speaking States
  • Federalism

Prospective Students

Please feel free to contact me with an outline research proposal. This should include

  • Your research question – clearly identified.
  • How you propose to answer this question. What theoretical and/or empirical work do you expect to undertake (e.g. case studies)?
  • How does your research project relate to relevant academic debates and literatures?
  • What likely contribution do you expect to make to such debates or literatures?
  • What research methodology do you expect to employ in your project?

Further information on postgraduate research at Keele, including Keele’s annual studentship competition, see here.