Abschlussarbeiten

Wir freuen uns über die Möglichkeit, Ihre Abschlussarbeit zu betreuen, sofern die folgenden Kriterien erfüllt sind:

1. Relevantes Thema

Ihre Abschlussarbeit sollte sich auf Politics of Money konzentrieren, d. h. darauf, wie politische Prozesse Investitionen, Finanzen, Handel oder Verschuldung beeinflussen und wie diese wirtschaftlichen Themen wiederum die Politik prägen.

2. Empirische Komponente

Ihre Forschung muss eine empirische Analyse beinhalten, z. B. statistische Methoden, qualitative Interviews oder Dokumentenanalysen. Bitte beachten Sie, dass rein theoretische Arbeiten oder Literaturübersichten ohne empirische Untersuchung nicht akzeptiert werden.

3. Sprachliche Voraussetzung

Die Abschlussarbeit muss auf Englisch verfasst werden.

4. Wissenstransfer

Nach Abschluss der Arbeit sind Sie verpflichtet, an einer Umfrage teilzunehmen, um Erkenntnisse und Ratschläge an zukünftige Studierende weiterzugeben.

5. Vorherige akademische Zusammenarbeit

Sie sollten mindestens eine Lehrveranstaltung bei Ihrer potenziellen Betreuungsperson besucht haben. Ausnahmen sind möglich, jedoch werden Studierende der WUPOL-Spezialisierung Politics and Money bevorzugt berücksichtigt.

Finden Sie hier unseren Leitfaden zur Erstellung von Bachelorarbeiten am Institut für Internationale Politische Ökonomie (Englisch). Neben zahlreichen Anleitungen und Empfehlungen finden Sie darin auch einige Best-Practice-Beispiele.

Domestic politics of banking regulation

• Why did the USA and UK have much more severe banking problems in 2008 than Canada and Australia?

• Why did Ireland guarantee all bank liabilities and pursue austerity-backed recapitalization, while Iceland allowed its banks to fail and imposed losses on foreign creditors, despite both experiencing catastrophic banking collapses of comparable scale relative to GDP?

Domestic politics of stock market regulation

• Why have South Korea and Japan followed different trajectories in strengthening minority shareholder protections since the 1990s?

• Why has India developed a far more active retail investor base than Brazil, despite both being large emerging market democracies with comparable growth trajectories and equity market histories?

Bailouts and banking crises

• Why did US authorities orchestrate a private-sector deposit coalition to stabilize First Republic, while Swiss authorities opted for a state-brokered forced merger to resolve Credit Suisse, despite both being systemically important banks facing acute confidence crises in 2023?

• Why did Mexico bail out its banks while Argentina pursued a Bagehot approach during the crisis of 1994-1995?

• Why did Sweden resolve its 1990s banking crisis through swift nationalization and asset separation while Japan delayed decisive intervention for nearly a decade, despite facing structurally similar balance-sheet recessions?

Stock market crashes

• Why did Malaysia impose capital controls during the 1997 Asian crisis while Thailand accepted IMF conditionality, despite both facing severe currency and banking sector stress?

Crises and contagion

• Why did South Korea recover from the 1997 Asian crisis far more rapidly than Indonesia, despite both experiencing severe IMF-program recessions and currency collapses of comparable magnitude?

• Why did Iceland's banking collapse in 2008 produce sharper short-term pain but faster recovery than Ireland's, despite both experiencing catastrophic banking failures of comparable scale relative to GDP?

Crisis fallout and distribution

• Why has crisis reform in Malta been more difficult than in Cyprus?

• Why did post-crisis austerity fall more heavily on wages and public services in Greece than in Portugal, despite both receiving EU-IMF troika programs under broadly similar conditionality frameworks?

Globalization and financial interdependence

• Why did Malaysia implement significantly more Basel II components than Indonesia, despite both being Southeast Asian emerging markets with comparable levels of financial sector development and regional integration?

• Why has Brazil's capital account openness liberalized over time while India's has remained constant through 1970-2020?

Financial statecraft and sanctions

• Why has Switzerland maintained greater distance from Western financial sanctions on Russia after 2022, while the EU and UK moved swiftly to freeze assets and exit correspondent banking relationships?

Finance and climate

• Why has Canada moved further than Australia in integrating climate risk into financial regulation and central bank mandates, despite both being fossil-fuel-dependent federal Westminster systems with comparable exposure to carbon transition risk?

• Why has the Bank of England integrated climate stress testing into its supervisory framework while the US Federal Reserve has resisted similar mandates, despite both overseeing systemically important global financial institutions?

Policies to attract FDI flow

• Despite similar goals of attracting green investment, why does Austria rely heavily on tax incentives and subsidies to attract FDI in renewable energy, while Sweden focuses more on regulatory framework quality and infrastructure?

• Despite their similarities as major Chinese electric‑vehicle manufacturers seeking EU market access, why did BYD choose to build a factory in Hungary, while Chery opted to reopen a former Nissan plant in Spain?

• Despite similar goals of attracting FDI, why has the United States doubled down on targeted tax incentives, while Canada prioritizes broader long‑term factors such as infrastructure and workforce development?

Policies to support FDI outflow

• Despite similar starting conditions as oil‑rich Gulf monarchies with large sovereign‑wealth funds, why has the UAE rapidly expanded and internationalized its foreign investments, while Saudi Arabia has scaled back foreign investments and focused on domestic projects?

• Although all BRIC countries were hit by the 2008 global financial crisis, why did China’s outward FDI remain relatively stable while India’s outward FDI declined significantly?

• Faced with U.S. pressure to reduce tech ties with China, why did Taiwan shift a large share of its outward FDI away from China toward the U.S. and other destinations, while South Korea has maintained substantial semiconductor investments in China?

• Despite both being Chinese automakers expanding in Europe’s EV market, why did CATL prioritize battery‑only investments while BYD focused on full vehicle manufacturing plants?

• Why did BYD build its own manufacturing plant in Hungary, while Geely expanded in Europe mainly by acquiring and investing in existing European brands such as Volvo and Lotus?

• Despite similar dependence on commodity exports and Chinese demand, why did Peru grant COSCO broad control over Chancay while Chile kept tighter control over its ports?

• Why is Hungary offering VIP investment subsidies to major Chinese investors while Portugal does not, even though both are EU member states?

Greenfield and M&A

• Why does Apple use joint ventures to invest in India, while Samsung relies on wholly owned subsidiaries in the same market?

• Despite both being large European automakers expanding into EVs, why did Volkswagen choose a joint venture with Rivian, while BMW opted for a more independent, in‑house EV strategy?

• Despite both Vietnam and Thailand having high political stability and integrating into global value chains, why did Vietnam attract substantially higher FDI inflows than Thailand in recent years?

• Despite both being large emerging economies with many greenfield projects, why does Brazil record significantly higher cross‑border M&A sales than Mexico?

• Why does Hungary actively welcome Russian FDI in sensitive sectors, while Romania, with a similar history of Soviet influence, actively restricts it?

Bilateral investment treaties and FDI

• Why is Nigeria reforming its bilateral investment treaties to raise labour and human‑rights standards, whereas Zambia, with similar income levels, has not followed the same path?

Debt and Growth

• Why has Greece been able to improve its credit rating while France, despite its stronger economic position, is facing declining credit ratings?

• Why did Vanuatu choose to accept Chinese financing for its new presidential palace and other infrastructure projects, while Fiji has increasingly turned to partnerships with Australia for similar development initiatives?

Debt and Default

• Why has Tunisia chosen to preserve politically sensitive subsidies at the cost of higher debt, while Egypt has opted for unpopular fiscal reforms to secure external financing and maintain solvency?

• Despite their shared adherence to EU fiscal rules and similarly advanced institutional frameworks, why have Germany's institutions maintained fiscal credibility and market confidence, while France's have struggled to prevent rising debt and investor anxiety?

• Despite both countries being West African with similar GDP per capita, why does Ghana decide to drastically cut government expenses to reduce debt, while Senegal does not use this strategy?

• Why has Ghana decided to implement financial reforms supported by the IMF despite having a similar debt burden, while Kenya continues to rely on expensive international loans?

Debt and Leader survival

• Despite both being major Chinese borrowers, why did China grant Angola generous debt relief while Zambia faced stricter repayment demands and had to seek IMF assistance?

• Why is Angola focusing on the reduction of outstanding loans from China, while the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to rely heavily on Chinese financing?

• Despite both Kenya and Ethiopia financing flagship standard-gauge railways with large Chinese loans, why did Kenya convert portions of its SGR debt into yuan in 2025, while Ethiopia did not pursue a comparable currency conversion?

• Why did the debt crisis in Sri Lanka result in a regime collapse and mass unrest, while the default in Zambia mainly led to economic problems without such severe political consequences?

Debt and inequality

• Why did the government of Argentina decide to implement IMF conditionality primarily through drastic cuts in social spending and pensions, while Egypt made the decision to enforce fiscal consolidation by removing energy subsidies and moderating wages in the public sector?

• Why did Greece experience a larger rise in inequality than Spain, even though both were hit by the same eurozone crisis?

• Why did Nepal manage to increase its health spending as a share of its budget by 50%, while Jordan dropped its budget share for health spending by a fifth?

• Despite both Argentina and Brazil experiencing major economic and social challenges in the early 2000s, why did income inequality rise in Argentina while it fell in Brazil?

• Despite facing similar conditions during the Euro Crisis, why did Portugal exit austerity earlier, while Spain followed harsher austerity paths with slower recovery?

• Why has Spain chosen front-loaded austerity to reassure global creditors, while Italy has opted for a more politically accommodating, high-spending approach despite rising market risks?

• Despite both being highly indebted Latin American countries, why has Argentina's President Javier Milei aggressively pursued austerity and fiscal consolidation to regain bond market access, while Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro largely resisted such deep spending cuts?

Debt and Protests

• Despite both facing IMF conditions like austerity and (because of that) facing civil unrest, why did Pakistan restrict public gatherings to prevent protests, but in Kenya protests against IMF measures escalated quickly?

• Despite both Kenya and Nigeria implementing IMF austerity measures that were unpopular with citizens, why did this lead to violent protest dynamics in Kenya (including violent clashes and repression of protesters), while protest in Nigeria remained more institutionalized and largely limited to labor-union strikes?

• Why did the IMF-backed reforms lead to the government in Bangladesh collapsing, while in Kenya, President Ruto was not removed from power despite huge demonstrations?

• Why do oppositional protesters in Mozambique directly address the IMF as responsible for rising living costs, while Madagascar faced similar protests but did not address the IMF visit directly?

• Despite both being developing nations that underwent IMF structural adjustment programs, why did Sri Lanka implement austerity in a way that disproportionately targeted opposition-supported regions, while Ghana pursued a more equitable implementation?

Debt and Geopolitics

• Why did the government of Sri Lanka opt for a politically risky land deal to service its debt and save market access, while the government of Zambia chose international default and kept its strategic assets?

• Despite both having close ties to China via the Belt and Road Initiative, why did Sri Lanka support building a port backed by China, while Bangladesh opposed it and made a deal with Japan instead?

• Why did Sri Lanka conclude a $10 billion restructuring deal with China in under two years, while Zambia required more than three years to finalize a smaller $6.3 billion agreement, even though both faced similar debt burdens and IMF programs?

• Despite both countries facing severe sovereign debt pressure, why did Greece decide to make asset deals to reduce its debt, while Argentina chose to default?

• Why does Kenya appear to have more flexibility in its external financing than Zambia, even though both countries are under heavy debt pressure?

• Despite both Kenya and Ethiopia facing similar currency pressures and heavy external debt, why has Kenya relied more aggressively on costly international bond markets while Ethiopia has leaned primarily on concessional and bilateral lenders?

Debt and Environment

• Despite both Ecuador and Peru using debt-for-nature swaps to address financial pressure and protect forests, why did Peru achieve clearer conservation improvements while Ecuador continues to face limited debt relief and ongoing deforestation risks?

• Despite both being resource-dependent countries reliant on resource-backed loans, why did Guinea see increased deforestation, whereas Angola did not?

• Why does Ecuador advance a second large-scale debt-for-nature swap while Zambia's comparable plan stalls, despite similar levels of external debt and conservation need?

• Why is Angola shifting away from resource-backed loans, while the Democratic Republic of Congo continues with resource-backed arrangements?

• Despite their similarities as North African economies, why does Tunisia under President Saied reject IMF conditionality, while Egypt has secured a $3 billion rescue plan from the IMF?

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