Bernhard Weßels received his PhD from the Free University in Berlin. He is professor at Humboldt University Berlin, and senior researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Research Centre. Since the early 1990s he has been engaged in election research and has been the principle investigator of many comparative research projects, including the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems and the European Election Study. He is co-principle investigator of the German Longitudinal Election Study.; Hans Rattinger received his PhD from the University of Freiburg. He held professorships and visiting professorships in Freiburg, Bamberg, Cambridge Mass., Toronto, and Georgetown Washington D.C. He was the principle investigator of numerous research projects on political culture, voting behaviour, and democratic participation. He is co-principle investigator of the German Longitudinal Election Study.

Sigrid Roßteutscher received her PhD from the European University Institute, Florence. She holds a chair in sociology at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. She has worked on religion and political behaviour and was a principle investigator of comparative research projects on social capital. She is co-principle investigator of the German Longitudinal Election Study.

Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck received his PhD from the University of Mannheim. He held professorships and visiting professorships in Duisburg, Zurich, and Auckland, and holds a chair in political sociology at the University of Mannheim. He is engaged in the Cross-National Election Project (CNEP), and was the principle investigator of numerous projects on political communication and voting behaviour. He is co-principle investigator of the German Longitudinal Election Study.