Herbert Kitschelt Awarded the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science
Kitschelt, who is professor of International Relations at Duke University in the USA, is honored for his groundbreaking research on party systems.
Herbert Kitschelt is the 2025 recipient of the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science. Kitschelt, who is Professor of International Relations at Duke University in the USA, is honoured for his groundbreaking research on party systems. He is awarded the prize for " having increased knowledge of the functioning of democratic party systems with exquisite theoretical acuity and impressive empirical breadth and depth."
Kitschelt is primarily known for his studies on how European multiparty systems are structured. He received his PhD from Bielefeld University in 1979. Throughout his career, he has investigated how political parties, in competition with each other and as a result of changing attitudes and behaviours within the electorate, have shaped party systems, primarily in post-industrial societies with multi-party competition.
Crucial contributions to understanding
Kitschelt's studies have increased our understanding of how European politics functions today. He was one of the earliest researchers to study the emergence of the new green parties in Western Europe in the 1980s. He also studied the factors behind the liberalisation of many social democratic parties' economic policies that occurred at the same time. Above all, he pioneered comparative research on the rise of radical right-wing parties in 1990s Europe.
Just as Kitschelt's research has been important for understanding developments in established democracies in Western Europe, he has also made several important contributions to the formation of party systems in the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe.
Differences between party systems
Party systems are structured in different ways. In clientelist party systems, the relationship between voters and political parties is transactional rather than a matter of ideological convictions. In these systems, candidates often offer material benefits or rewards, such as jobs or other compensation, in exchange for voters' support.
On a more global scale, Kitschelt has provided important insights into the differences between ideological and clientelist party systems, both in their emergence and formation. Importantly, his research has shown that clientelist party systems do not necessarily disappear as societies develop. Instead clientelist parties adapt to new conditions as education levels, prosperity, and the middle class increase.
Political Science's own "Nobel Prize"
Together, Kitschelt's contributions not only provide insights into how party systems have evolved historically, but also for analysing the relationship between political parties and voters today. It is for these contributions that he is now awarded the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science.
The Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science is regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in political science research internationally. Previous laureates include Elinor Ostrom, Robert Dahl, and Jürgen Habermas.
Annica Hulth
The Johan Skytte Prize
- The prize is awarded annually by the Johan Skytte Foundation to the person or persons who have made "the most significant contributions" in political science. This year marks the 30th anniversary since the first prize was awarded.
- It consists of a prize amount of 500,000 SEK and a silver medal, both of which are funded by the 1622 donation which Chancellor Johan Skytte made to serve as the basis for a Professor Chari in Eloquence and Political Science at Uppsala University.