Michael Bechtel is Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Political Science and European Affairs, faculty member in the Cologne Center for Comparative Politics, and senior researcher in the cluster of excellence ECONtribute: Markets and Public Policy at the University of Cologne. His research explores how countries can address global economic and environmental sustainability problems. Current projects analyze mass support for international climate cooperation, the politics of natural disasters, and policy responses to economic crises. Much of his scholarly work uses original survey data, experimental designs, and causal inference techniques. Bechtel’s articles have appeared in journals such as American Journal of Political Science, American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics, International Organization, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His research has been featured in media outlets in the United States and Europe (e.g., Financial Times, Independent, New York Times, Independent, Zeit, Neue Zürcher Zeitung) and in animated movies. Bechtel has provided testimony in legal proceedings that require expertise in social science research including surveys, conjoint designs, and statistical analysis. Prior to his academic career, he served as an infantry soldier and reserve officer in the German Army where his deployments included the 2002 Elbe flood disaster response.

Now available: Survey Instruments for Measuring Reciprocity, Altruism, Inequality Aversion, Time Preferences, and Risk Aversion in Mass Surveys
These files contain word and qualtrics versions (including Java script) of survey modules to elicit reciprocity, altruism, and inequality aversion in mass surveys:
- Give-or-Take Game Inequality Aversion Module based on Bechtel et al. 2018 PNAS
- Reciprocity and Altruism Module based on Bechtel/Scheve 2017 JEPS, Bechtel/Scheve 2013 PNAS, and Bechtel et al. 2018 BJPS
- Time and Risk Preferences Module including Convex Time Budgets (CTB) instrument and stated-preference questions (coming soon)
Conjoint Analyses and Conjoint Designs in Political Science
- International cooperation problems
- Global climate cooperation: Bechtel/Scheve 2013 PNAS, Bechtel et al. 2018 BJPS, Bechtel at al. 2020 NCC
- Economic crises: Bechtel et al. 2014 AJPS, Bechtel et al. 2017 EJPR, Bansak et al. 2021 APSR
- Predicting levels of demand/policy support and generating willingness-to-pay estimates from conjoint data: Bechtel/Scheve 2013 PNAS, Bechtel et al. 2018 BJPS, Bansak et al. 2021 APSR
- Divide-the-dollar conjoint to analyze preferences over redistribution under budget constraints: Bechtel/Mannino 2020 PSRM
- Conjoint analyses and fundamental vs. contingent attitudes: Bechtel et al. 2018 EJPR