Considerable Inequality in Faculty Hiring Networks of German Universities: Placement Power in Psychology and Political Science

Abstract This paper examines the hiring and placement network of German professors in the fields of psychology and political science. It is well known that in the stratified university system of the United States, the capability of departments to place their PhD graduates as professors in academic departments is highly skewed. In contrast, the German university system is considered to be more egalitarian. Focusing on psychology and political science, this paper reveals that the placement network of German universities has a similar degree of inequality as that in the United States. We show that a few influential departments dominate their fields and that the majority of departments have little to no placement power. The paper also discusses whether department size and publication productivity are explanatory factors. The unequal success of departments in placing their PhD graduates as professors raises questions about intellectual diversity in the German university system. Peer Review https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway/wos/peer-review/10.1162/QSS.a.478