Rahel Süß is a political scientist and philosopher with interests in democratic and digital futures. Her primary areas of focus encompass the practices and processes involved in democratic and digital transformation.

Rahel is currently working on a model of experimental democracy for the digital age and asks, how desirable futures come into being? She has introduced the notion of the experiment as a future-opening practice, illustrating that experimentation is not only a fundamental component of the democratic concept but also an indispensable characteristic of democratic politics. Rahel argues that fostering a political culture of experimentation is crucial for the successful revitalization of democracy in order to effectively address the challenges of today.

Rahel earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Political Science, both with distinction, along with a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy (with distinction) and a PhD in Political Science (with distinction), all from the University of Vienna. She has conducted research at numerous universities in the UK, USA and Germany including the London School of Economics and Political Science, King’s College London, Duke University and Humboldt University. Her research has been funded by research councils including the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, The Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), and Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD).

Rahel is the author of the article “Who is the digital sovereign” (2023), and the books Politique de la Provocation (2021), a vision of democracy as a practice of critique; Demokratie und Zukunft (2020), where she argues that the task of democracy is to keep the future open; and Kollektive Handlungsfähigkeit (2015), a philosophical investigation into the meaning of emancipatory action. Rahel is the founder of the journal engagée.

At THE NEW INSTITUTE, Rahel is working on themes related to "The Future of Democracy".