Post: Professor of Comparative Politics, CUF University Lecturer, Fellow, Corpus Christi College

Appointed: 2001

College: Corpus Christi College

Office Details: Fellows 2,8

Phone No: (01865) 276752 -  Contact electronically

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Introduction:

Giovanni Capoccia is Professor of Comparative Politics, Fellow in Politics at Corpus Christi College, and currently Director of Research in the Department of Politics and International Relations. He obtained his Doctorate in Political Science at the European University Institute of Florence (Italy). Before his present post, he was Tutorial Fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford. He has held a British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship, and in 2006-2007 he was the Rita E. Hauser Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University.

Research Activities and Interests:

Prof. Capoccia's recent research has focused on the analysis of causes and consequences of the strategies adopted by democratic governments to control extremist dissent. He recently completed a comparative study on inter-war Europe, which provided the material for several journal articles and a monograph entitled Defending Democracy (Johns Hopkins University Press 2005 [paperback 2007] -- more details at http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title-pages/3384.html ). The book received the 2006 APSA Award for the Best Book in European Politics.

Capoccia's theoretical and methodological interests focus on the analysis of political institutions. His work in this area has earned him two further APSA Awards, the 2006 Sage Award for the Best Paper and the 2008 Alexander George Award for the Best Article developing and applying Qualitative and Multiple Methods.

In his current project he analyzes the responses to the extreme right in contemporary Western European democracies. The project has received funding from the British Academy, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University, the Research Development Fund and the John Fell Fund of Oxford University, and the Nuffield Foundation. The resulting monograph, entitled Militant Democrats, is under contract with Johns Hopkins University Press. (for more information on the project, visit http://government.politics.ox.ac.uk/Projects/Setting-the-Boundaries.asp

Furthermore, Prof. Capoccia is co-directing (with Prof. Daniel Ziblatt, Associate Professor of Government, Harvard University - http://people.fas.harvard.edu/~dziblatt/index.html) a collaborative project on 'Democratization, Diffusion and Contingency: Lessons from Europe', which aims at re-evaluating the process of European democratization through the lenses of both structural theories of political development and dynamic approaches to regime transitions. The project involves several scholars from Europe, Canada and the US. A workshop was held in October 2008 at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University (see http://www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/conferences/democratization/index.html ). The proceedings will be published in 2010. The project has been funded by the Stiftung Deutsch-Amerikanische Wissenschaftsbeziehungen and the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University.

Funded Research

John Fell Fund, University of Oxford, Small Grant, 7,500£. Project title 'Militant Democrats'.

Stiftung Deutsch-Amerikanische Wissenschaftsbeziehungen, grant towards the establishment of an international study group (EUR 5,000): Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University (matching). Project Title 'Democratization, Diffusion, and Contingency: Lessons from Europe', with Daniel Ziblatt, Harvard University (2008-2009).

British Academy Small Grant, £ 7,472. Project title ‘Militant Democrats’ (2007-2008)

John Fell Fund, University of Oxford, £ 3,996. Project title ‘Militant Democrats’ (2007-2008)

Research Development Fund, Oxford University, (£ 29,716), Project title ‘Militant Democrats’ (2003-2007)

Completed grants:

British Academy/Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship, 2006-2007. Project title 'Militant Democrats'.  

Nuffield Foundation, £6,921. Project title 'Militant Democrats' (2006-2007) 

John Fell Fund, Oxford University, £ 2,925. Project title 'Militant Democrats' (2005-2007)

Travel Grant, Astor Fund, £ 425 (2005-2006)

Spring School Grant, ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council), £ 300 (2004-2005).

Overseas Travel Grant, British Academy, £ 510 (2003-2004).

Conference Grant, Council of European Studies, $650 (2003-2004).

Research Grant, British Academy, £ 4,940. Project title ‘Militant Democrats’ (2002-2003)

Teaching Grant, Apgar Prize, Magdalen College Oxford, £ 550 (2002-2003).

Workshop participation Grant, Consortium for Qualitative Research Methods, $1,200 plus fees. (2002-2003)

Research Grant, DAAD (Deutscher Akedemischer Austauschdienst), € 2,950 (2001-2002)

Ph.D. Grant, European University Institute, € 24,000 plus additional funds (1997-2000)

Student Exchange Grant, European University Institute, € 4,000 (Fall 1998).

Research Grant, DAAD (Deutscher Akedemischer Austauschdienst), € 6,000 (1997-1998)

Various external grants for participation in international Summer Schools (1996-1997)

Ph.D. Grant, Italian Government, € 19,000 plus additional funds (1995-1997)

Publication Grant, Italian National Research Council, € 6,000 (1994)

Research News

• Sep 2008, Professor Giovanni Capoccia wins APSA Award, Read more


• Jan 2007, Professor Giovanni Capoccia Awarded John Fell OUP Research Fund, Read more


• Jun 2006, Dr Giovanni Capoccia Awarded Best Book Prize, Read more


• May 2006, Dr Capoccia and Dr Kelemen awarded 2006 Sage Award, Read more


• Mar 2006, Dr Giovanni Capoccia Awarded Grant from the Nuffield Foundation, Read more


• Feb 2006, Dr Giovanni Capoccia awarded funding by the University's Research Development Fund, Read more


• Feb 2006, Giovanni Capoccia Awarded a BA Senior Research Fellowship, Read more

Teaching Responsibilities:

(On leave 2006-2007) 

Graduate Teaching

Case Study Research and Process Tracing (2007-2008) 

Research Design in Comparative Politics (2007-2008) 

Comparative Government core course (M.Phil. in Comparative Government-- 2003-current; course convenor 2003-2005)

Advanced Comparative Methodology (graduate lectures) (2002-2005)

The Politics and Government of Italy (graduate optional course) (2003-2004)

Comparative European Government and Politics core course (M.Phil. in European Politics and Society) (2001-2003)

Undergraduate teaching

Lectures, Party systems and coalition-making in Western Europe (Paper 206: The Politics and Government of Western Europe).

Course provider, The Politics and Government of Western Europe (2002-2006)

Examining Boards

M.Phil. in Politics Examiner (2002-2005)

Previous Posts Held:

Previous employment

Fixed-Term University Lecturer in Politics and Tutorial Fellow in Politics, Magdalen College, Oxford (2001-2003)

Visiting Positions

Harvard University, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, Cambridge (Mass.), 2006-2007. Rita E. Hauser Fellow. 

Max-Planck-Institut fuer auslaendisches oeffentliches Recht und Voelkerrecht, Heidelberg (Germany), Summer 2002. Visiting Scholar.

University of California, Berkeley, Department of Political Science, Fall 1998. Visiting Scholar.

Karls-Ruprechts-Universitaet Heidelberg (Germany), Institut fuer politische Wissenschaft, 1997-1998. Visiting Scholar.

Media Expertise:

Legal and political reactions to extremist movements in democracies

Western European Politics

Publications:

Books

Militant Democrats: Political Repression in Contemporary Western Europe, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press (under contract)

Defending Democracy: Reactions to extremism in Interwar Europe, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005, pages 352 (paperback, 2007)

[Winner, Best Book in European Politics Award, awarded by the American Political Science Association]

Unified Germany between Continuity and Renewal. The German Electoral and Party Syetem during the Process of National Reunification (in Italian), Rome, Bulzoni, 1995, pages 490.

Articles and book chapters

“Germany’s Response to 9/11: The Persistence of Constitutional Traditions”, to appear in The Consequences of Counterterrorist Policies in Democracies, New York, Russell Sage Foundation, editor Martha Crenshaw.

“The Study of Critical Junctures: Theory, Narrative and Counterfactuals in Institutional Theory” (with R. D. Kelemen, Oxford University), World Politics, April 2007, p. 341-369.

[Winner, 2008 Alexander George Award for the Best Journal Article Developing and Applying Qualitative and Multiple Methods, awarded by the American Political Science Association, Qualitative and Multi-Methods Section] 

[Winner, 2006 Sage Award for the Best APSA Paper Developing and Applying Qualitative Methods, awarded by the American Political Science Association, Qualitative Methods Section]

“Lessons from the Past”, in Eatwell, R. and C. Mudde, (eds.), Western Democracies and the New “Extremist” Challenge, London, Routledge, 2003.

Hebrew version of “Defending Democracy: Strategies of Reaction to Political Extremism in Inter-War Europe”, State and Society, N. 1, 2003.

“Legislative Responses to Extremism. The ‘Protection of Democracy’ in the First Czechoslovak Republic 1920-1938”, East European Politics and Societies, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2002, pp. 691-734.

“The Political Consequences of Electoral Laws: the German System at Fifty”, West European Politics, Vol. 25, No. 3, July 2002, pp. 173-204.

“Anti-system Parties: A Conceptual Reassessment”, Journal of Theoretical Politics, Vol. 14, No. 1, January 2002, pp. 9-35.

“Defending Democracy: Strategies of Reaction to Political Extremism in Inter-War Europe”, European Journal of Political Research, Vol. 39, No. 4, June 2001, pp. 431-460.

"Proportional representation and first-past-the-post election in the German electoral system" (in Italian), Quaderni di Scienza Politica Vol. 7, No. 2, August 2001, pp. 99-163.

"Redistricting in Germany: Relevant Legislation and Political Importance" (in Italian), Nomos. Le Attualità del Diritto, Vol. 3, No. 2-3, May-December 1998, pp. 29-56.

Published Working Papers:

“Multi-method Research in Comparative Politics and Political Theory” (with M. Freeden, Oxford University), Committee on Concepts and Methods, Series on Political Methodology, #9/2006

“The Study of Critical Junctures: Theory, Narrative and Counterfactuals in Institutional Theory” (with R. D. Kelemen, Oxford University), Committee on Concepts and Methods, Series on Political Concepts, #10/2006.

“Defending Democracy: Strategies of Reaction to Political Extremism in Inter-war Europe”, European University Institute, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Working Paper #2/2000.

“Challenge, Prevention and Response: Game-Theoretical Perspective on Breakdown and Survival of European Democracies”, European University Institute, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Working Paper #11/99 (full text at: http://www.iue.it/PUB/sps-fm.html ).

“Electoral Abuse in PR Systems: Old and New Territorial Distortions in the German Electoral System”, European University Institute, Department of Political and Social Sciences, Working Paper #6/97.