Political Sociology

The department focuses on the systematic study of the basic processes in the democratic political system of the CzechRepublic and some of its bodies. The main subjects of research are the emergence and stabilisation of a system of parties, deputies and senators in the Parliament of the Czech Republic, the impact of the non-political representation of interests in the area of work and capital (social dialogue), civil society and the relationship between civil society, political parties and the state.

Some of the current projects:

"The Political-Legal Institutional Framework of the Czech Republic and Its Transformation in the Context of EU Accession" (PhDr. Zdenka Mansfeldová, CSc.), "Europeanization of Political Representation in the Czech Republic" (PhDr. Zdenka Mansfeldová, CSc.), "Legitimacy of the Political System and Inequalities: The development in the Czech Republic in Comparative Perspective" (PhDr. Lukáš Linek), "Citizens and the State in the Czech Republic:The Impact and Legacy of the Prague Spring 1968-2008" (Pat Lyons, Ph.D.), "NEWGOV — New Modes of Governance" (PhDr. Zdenka Mansfeldová, CSc. — co-ordinator of the Czech part of the project), "InTun - Integrated and United? A Quest for Citizenship in an Ever Closer Europe" (PhDr. Zdenka Mansfeldová, CSc. — co-ordinator of the Czech part of the project), "RECON - Reconstituting Democracy in Europe" (PhDr. Zdenka Mansfeldová, CSc. — co-ordinator of the Czech part of the project)

New publications:

• Rakušanová Petra, Stašková Barbora: Organizovaná občanská společnost v České republice, Professional Publishing, Praha 2007.
• Jochen Tholen, Ludovit Czíria, Eike Hemmer, Wieslava Kozek, Zdenka Mansfeldová: Direktinvestitionen deutscher Unternehmen in Mittel- ubd Osteuropa, Rainer Hampp Verlag, München und Mering 2006.
• Zdenka Mansfeldová a Aleš Kroupa (eds.): Participace a zájmové organizace v České republice (Participation and Interest Groups in the Czech Republic), SLON, Praha 2005.
• Zdenka Mansfeldová, David M. Olson, Petra Rakušanová (eds.): Central European Parliaments: First Decade of Democratic Experience and Future Prospectives, Sociologický ústav AV ČR, Praha 2004.