Political corruption in the 19th century - a monographic study

该项目的目的是撰写一部关于18世纪至20世纪30年代西方社会现代化过程中政治腐败史的专著。重点也将放在腐败辩论以及德国、法国、英国、意大利、西班牙和美国的政治赞助和网络（“Mikropolitik”）的辩论做法上。这将是第一本关于这个主题的综合性和跨国设计的书。它将分析微观政治，腐败和现代性的批评之间的关系：首先，经历的做法，是现代化进程的一部分。其次，腐败指控被证明是政治现代性的重要参考。根据其自我概念，现代社会应该能够克服政治腐败;其发展阶段可以通过反腐败斗争的结果来衡量。然而，这场斗争永远不可能真正成功，因为作为腐败概念基础的个人利益和公共利益之间的根本二分法永远不可能在政治的社会现实中得到实施。几次国际上可以察觉的腐败辩论浪潮促成了欧洲的政权更迭。第一次浪潮导致了旧制度的丧失合法性。在19世纪末，可以在当时的议会制度中发现类似的影响。最后，世纪早期独裁政权的建立得益于对腐败问题的辩论。

The aim of the project is the composition of a monograph on the history of political corruption in modernising western societies between the 18th century and the 1930s. Focus will be as well on the corruption debates as well as on the debated practices of political patronage and networking ("Mikropolitik") in Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Spain and the United States. This will be the first comprehenive und transnationally designed book on the topic. It will analyse the relationship between micro-politics, criticism of corruption and modernity: First, the practices underwent and were part of modernising processes. Second, the charge of corruption proved to be an important reference for political modernity. According to its self-conception modern society should be able to overcome political corruption; its stage of development can be measured by the results of the fight against corruption. However, the fight never can be truly successful, because the fundamental dichotomy between individual gain and the public good, underlying the concept of corruption, could never be implemented in the social reality of politics. Several, internationally detectable waves of corruption debates contributed to regime change in Europe. The first wave accounted for the delegitimation of the Ancien Régime. At the end of the 19th century, similar effects can be detected with respect to the parliamentary systems of the time. Finally, the establishment of authoritarian regimes in the early 20th century profited from corruption debates.