Research Interests

Dr. Silvia's research specializes in comparative labor markets and comparative industrial relations, with a focus on Germany and the European Union. He also writes about German politics and political parties.  

Selected Publications

• "Things Fall Apart: Contemporary Analyses of German Economic and Political Developments," Comparative European Politics, (October 2010).
• "The Elusive Quest for Normalcy: The German Economy since Unification," German Politics and Society 28, no. 2 (Summer 2010), pp. 82-101.
• "Why Germany reformed Public Pensions, but the United States did not," German Studies Review 32, no. 1 (February 2009): 23-50.
• "German Trade Unionism in the Postwar Years: The Third and Fourth Movements," in Craig L. Phelan, ed., Trade Unions since 1945: Towards a Global History. Oxford: Peter Lang, 2009.
• "Why are German Employers Associations Declining? Arguments and Evidence," Comparative Political Studies 40, no. 12 (Dec. 2007): 1433-59 [lead author, with Wolfgang Schroeder].
• The German Locomotive: Can It Drive the European Economy? Transatlantic Council of the United States, 2007 (with Fran Burwell et al.).
• "Is the Euro Working? The Euro and European Labor Markets," Journal of Public Policy 24, no. 2 (August 2004): 147-168.
• Reinventing the German Economy. AICGS, The Johns Hopkins University, 2003.
• "Gewerkschaften und Arbeitgeberverbnde, [Trade Unions and Employers Associations,] in Wolfgang Schroeder and Berhard Wessels, eds., Gewerkschaften in Politik und Gesellschaft der Bundesrepublik [Trade Unions in the Politics and Society of the Federal Republic]. Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 2003, [with Wolfgang Schroeder].
• ";Reform Gridlock and the Role of the Bundesrat in German Politics,"West European Politics 22, no. 2 (April 1999): 167-181.

Professional Presentations

• "The 2008 Financial Crisis and European Economic Performance." Foreign Service Institute, United States Department of State, 4 November 2008.
• "Growing Old Together: A Comparison of Public Pension Issues in Germany and the USA." American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, The Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., 16 February 2007.
• "European and American Social Models Compared." The American Model and Europe: Past – Present – Future, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, 27 January 2006.
• "The Acquis Communautaire: An Extension of European Colonialist Values?" Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC, 1-4 September 2005.
• "Der deutsche Sozialstaat im internationalen Vergleich" ["The German Welfare State: An International Comparison"], Mut zur Gerechtigkeit. Sozialstaatskongress der IG Metall, Berlin 6-7 April 2005.
• "Is the Euro Working? The Euro and European Labor Markets." Scuola di Studi di Trento, Università degli Studi di Trento. Trento, Italy, 13 May 2004.
• "The Shadow of Bismarck: Reform of the German Welfare State." Why is the Reform of Continental Welfare States so Difficult? The German Case in Comparative Perspective. Study Group on Policy Reform in Advanced Industrial Societies, Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies, Harvard University, 7 May 2004.
•  "Acquis Communautaire: A Genealogy." Presented at the 8th Biennial International Conference of the European Union Studies Association, Nashville, Tennessee, 27-29 March 2003 [with Aaron Beers Sampson].
• "The Euro and European Labor Markets." DaimlerChrysler Senior Fellow Lecture, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, The Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., 6 February 2003.
• "Sympathy for the Devil: A Reconsideration of 'Two Logics of Collective Action'." Presented at Knowledge Networks and Global Governance: International Symposium, Kassel, Germany, 27-29 June 2002.

Residencies

• Guest Professor, University of Kassel (Germany), January 2009.
• DaimlerChrysler Senior Fellow, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., 2002-2003.
• James Bryant Conant Fellow in German and European Studies, Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies, Harvard University, September 1994 - August 1995.
• Visiting Scholar, Zentralinstitut für sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung (ZI SOWIFO, Central Institute for Social Science Research), Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany January - August 1993.
• Visiting Scholar, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut Düsseldorf, Germany August - December 1992.
• In-Residence Fellow, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., January - July 1992.
• Visiting Scholar, Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, September 1988 - August 1989.
• Visiting Scholar, Institut für Sozialforschung (IfS, Institute for Social Science Research), Frankfurt/Main, Germany, January - July 1986.

Honors, Awards, and Fellowships

• Fulbright Fellowship, German Studies Seminar, Germany, June 2009.
• Board Member, American Council on EU Studies, European Center of Excellence.
• Guest Professor, University of Kassel (Germany), January 2009.
• DaimlerChrysler Senior Fellow, August 2002-January 2003, "Working as One? European Economic Integration and Labor-Market Reform." American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C.
• Volkswagen Foundation, 1999-2001, "The Transatlantic Business Dialogue: Steering Models in a Multilevel System between Politics and Economics," (with Prof. Wolfgang Wessels, University of Cologne, Germany).
•  Director of Regulatory Studies, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., 1998-2000.
• James Bryant Conant Fellow in German and European Studies, Harvard University, Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies, September 1994 - August 1995.
• Fulbright Junior Researcher Award, Germany, October 1992 - August 1993.
• Bosch Younger Scholars Program in the Social Sciences, In-residence Fellowship, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., January - July 1992.
• Visiting Scholar, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany (Zentralinstitut für sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung (ZI SOWIFO], Central Institute for Social Science Research), 1993.

Grants and Sponsored Research

• Daimler Fonds im Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, Comparative Public Pension Policy, Germany and the USA, 2007.
• DaimlerChrysler Senior Fellow, August 2002-January 2003, "Working as One? European Economic Integration and Labor-Market Reform." American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C.
• Volkswagen Foundation, 1999-2001, "The Transatlantic Business Dialogue: Steering Models in a Multilevel System between Politics and Economics," (with Prof. Wolfgang Wessels, University of Cologne, Germany).
• American University (AU) Research-Leave Grant, September-December 2002.
• National Endowment for the Humanities, "The Changing Place of Labor in European Society," team research grant, 1991 - 1994.
• Fulbright Junior Researcher Award, Germany, October 1992 - August 1993.
• Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Research Fellowship, Germany, August - December 1992.
• AU Research-Leave Grant, September 1992 - May 1993.
• Bosch Younger Scholars Program in the Social Sciences, In-residence Fellowship, American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, D.C., January - July 1992.
• Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Doctoral Research Fellowship, Germany, October 1985 - July 1986.

Media Appearances

• ARD German Radio
• CNN International
• MSNBC
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Der Spiegel
• Suddeutsche Zeitung
• Time
• Voice of America
• Wall Street Journal
• Washington Post