Research Briefs
Delve deeper into the most recent research published by Watson faculty.
Research Briefs
Delve deeper into the most recent research published by Watson faculty.
News from Watson
Neo-Authoritarian Masculinity in Brazilian Crime Film
Jeremy Lehnen recently published a book with the University of Florida Press titled, "Neo-Authoritarian Masculinity in Brazilian Crime Film."
Human Mobility and the Globalization of Knowledge Production: Causal Evidence from Multinational Enterprises
Dany Bahar recently co-authored, "Human Mobility and the Globalization of Knowledge Production: Causal Evidence from Multinational Enterprises," which investigates how reforms that ease or restrict human mobility affect global innovation.
Jayanti Owens Selected as a 2020 William T. Grant Scholar
In May 2020, Jayanti Owens was selected as a William T. Grant Scholar for her project, "What Drives Racial/Ethnic Disparities in School Discipline? Understanding Mechanisms to Inform Policy Solutions." The grant will allow her to assist schools in developing and evaluating a diagnostic tool to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in student discipline.
Faculty book contributions in 2021
Each year, Watson faculty help to edit books and chapters and publish books of their own. Explore the books our faculty worked on this year.
Reid Pauly Wins Nuclear Security Grant
Reid Pauly recently won a Nuclear Security Grant from the Stanton Foundation, which focuses on international nuclear security issues. The grant will support Pauly's forthcoming research, "Threats That Leave Something to Chance."
Pandemic Schooling Mode and Student Test Scores: Evidence from U.S. States
Emily Oster recently co-authored "Pandemic Schooling Mode and Student Test Scores: Evidence from U.S. States," featuring research that analyzes the impact of district-level schooling modes on test scores.
The impact of school opening model on SARS-CoV-2 community incidence and mortality
Emily Oster recently co-authored an article in Nature Medicine featuring a study using a nationwide cohort evaluating the effect of school mode on COVID-19 cases during the 12 weeks after school opening (July - September 2020.)
Caught Red-Handed: How States Wield Proof to Coerce Wrongdoers
Reid Pauly and Cullen G. Nutt (U.S. Naval Academy) recently co-authored an article published in International Security 46, 2 (Fall 2021). Together they delve into four case studies of nuclear proliferation in Taiwan, Libya, South Africa, and North Korea.
How Exclusionary Nationalism Has Made the World Socially Sicker from COVID-19
Prerna Singh recently authored, How Exclusionary Nationalism Has Made the World Socially Sicker from COVID-19, in which she argues that the preexisting notion of exclusionary nationalism has made the COVID-19 pandemic more dangerous than it might otherwise have been.
Is cheap gasoline killing us? Fuel subsidies and under-taxation as a driver of obesity and public health problems worldwide
Jeff Colgan and co-author Miriam Hinthorn (Brown University) recently published a piece in Energy Research and Social Science on the relationship between fuel prices and the global obesity epidemic using data spanning 145 countries between 1998 and 2016.
Professor Schiller wins APSA Barbara Sinclair Lectureship Award
Wendy Schiller was recently awarded the APSA Barbara Sinclair Lectureship Award by the American Political Science Association, which recognizes achievement in promoting understanding of the U.S. Congress and legislative politics.
Innovation contests, vaccine diplomacy, and health nationalism: The case of Kenya
Nitsan Chorev and coauthor Salma Mutwafy recently published a piece in SECTORS: Newsletter of the American Sociological Association's Sociology of Development Section on the impact that international contests over innovation, vaccine diplomacy, and health nationalism have on both the availability of vaccines and their perception in low-income countries.
No Standard Oil: Managing Abundant Petroleum in a Warming World
In her book, "No Standard Oil: Managing Abundant Petroleum in a Warming World," published by Oxford University Press in October 2021, Deborah Gordon examines the widely varying climate impacts of global oils and gases and proposes solutions to cut greenhouse gas emissions in this sector.
Research Symposium on Civilian-Military Humanitarian Coordination
In September 2021, the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies (CHRHS) at Watson, in collaboration with the Naval War College, presented cutting edge public health, social science, and legal research examining key questions regarding humanitarian civil-military coordination.
The Italian Catholic Press and the Racial Laws (1938–1943)
In an article appearing in the Fall 2021 issue of the journal Holocaust and Genocide Studies titled "The Italian Catholic Press and the Racial Laws (1938–1943)," David Kertzer, with coauthor Roberto Benedetti, examines the support that the Roman Catholic Church gave to Fascist Italy's antisemitic "racial laws."
Who Gets What? The New Politics of Insecurity
Margaret Weir recently co-edited "Who Gets What? The New Politics of Insecurity," a book harnessing the expertise of scholars from across the disciplines of history and the social sciences to probe how the economic and social transformations of the past forty years have introduced new risks and insecurities that fractured the solidarities of the postwar era.
The Politics of Climate Change at the International Maritime Organization
Climate Solutions Lab affiliate Jan Stockbruegger recently wrote a White Paper focusing on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and it's role in climate change.
Does the Meeting Style Matter? The Effects of Exposure to Participatory and Deliberative School Board Meetings
Jonathan Collins recently authored, "Does the Meeting Style Matter? The Effects of Exposure to Participatory and Deliberative School Board Meetings" a study focused on the effects of civic engagement in public meetings.
Climate Change, Grand Strategy, and International Order
Jeff Colgan recently authored, "Climate Change, Grand Strategy, and International Order" a piece in which he identifies three different ways that various analysts of strategy and order think about climate change.
Eric Patashnik recently co-authored "How Voters Use Contextual Information to Reward and Punish: Credit Claiming, Legislative Performance, and Democratic Accountability," a study focused on how voters use contextual information to evaluate the performance of legislators.
Emily Oster recently co-authored "Disparities in Learning Mode Access Among K–12 Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic, by Race/Ethnicity, Geography, and Grade Level," a report focused on access to full-time in-person learning for non-Hispanic White students, non-Hispanic Black students, Hispanic students, and students of other race/ethnicities from January–April 2021.
Populism and Hindu Nationalism in India
Ashutosh Varshney recently co-authored, "Populism and Hindu Nationalism in India" which presents findings from the first-ever survey, conducted in 12 states, of populist attitudes in India.
Is Confirmation Bias Guiding COVID Vaccine Recommendations?
Rose McDermott recently co-authored "Is Confirmation Bias Guiding COVID Vaccine Recommendations?" an op-ed focused on basing policy on indisputable evidence rather than confirmation bias.
International Strategy Forum Fellowship Class of 2020
Reid Pauly was recently invited to join the inaugural Schmidt Futures International Strategy Fellowship Class of 2020, which aims to elevate and connect rising leaders in global affairs and to equip them to tackle the most pressing challenges of the next few decades.
Climate and Energy in the Transatlantic Relationship
Jeff Colgan recently published, "Climate and Energy in the Transatlantic Relationship" - a piece examining the relationship between climate change and changes in the transatlantic political landscape.
2020 Year-End Reflections: Helping People Now and Helping People More in a Global Pandemic
Reid Pauly is mentioned in "2020 Year-End Reflections: Helping People Now and Helping People More in a Global Pandemic" as being among the 27 fellows from diverse fields that made up Schmidt Futures ISF-North America 2020 cohort - a team working on various humanitarian efforts surrounding COVID-19, climate change, racial injustice, rising economic inequality, and threats to democracy.
Rob Blair and co-authors recently wrote, "Can Americans Depolarize? Assessing the Effects of Reciprocal Group Reflection on Partisan Polarization," a piece analyzing an experimental evaluation of a unique depolarization initiative that draws on principles of couples therapy to mitigate hostility between Democrats and Republicans.
Biden's Climate Report Card: 4 A's, 2 B's, 3 Incompletes
Jeff Colgan and co-authors Thomas N. Hale (University of Oxford) and Scott M. Moore (University of Pennsylvania) recently published "Biden's Climate Report Card: 4 A's, 2 B's, 3 Incompletes," in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Deniability in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: The Upside of the Dual-Use Dilemma
Reid Pauly recently published, "Deniability in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime: The Upside of the Dual-Use Dilemma" in International Studies Quarterly.
Design Principles for American Industrial Policy
Andrew Schrank recently wrote "Design Principles for American Industrial Policy," a piece focused on the Biden administration's efforts to mobilize American manufacturing.
Biden at 100 Days: A Climate Foreign-Policy Scorecard
Jeff D. Colgan and co-authors Thomas N. Hale (University of Oxford) and Scott M. Moore (University of Pennsylvania) recently published "Biden @ 100 DAYS: A Climate Foreign-Policy Scorecard," which examines the current administration's actions and commitment to reorienting U.S. foreign policy to meet the climate challenge.
Foreign Aid and State Legitimacy
Rob Blair and Philip Roessler recently published, "Foreign Aid and State Legitimacy" which examines evidence on foreign aid from surveys, survey experiments, and behavioral games.
For Marielle: Mulhere(s) da Maré—Danger, Seeds and Tides
Drawing on Rio de Janeiro City Councillor Marielle Franco's published masters thesis in public administration, Professor Geri Augusto recently wrote the article "For Marielle: Mulhere(s) da Maré—Danger, Seeds and Tides" for Transition magazine that shines a light on Marielle's thinking about favela life on its own terms, gender equality, anti-racism, policing, and social justice.
Economic Determinants of Public Support for European Integration, 1995–2018
Chase Foster and Jeff Frieden, Professor of Government at Harvard University recently published, "Economic Determinants of Public Support for European Integration, 1995–2018" which examines how the state of the economy has shaped public attitudes toward the EU over the last quarter century.
United States Counterterrorism Operations, 2018-2020
A new report from the Costs of War finds that from 2018 to 2020, the United States government undertook what it labeled "counterterrorism" activities in 85 countries.
Recommendations on Brazil to President Biden and the New Administration
James Green recently co-wrote, "Recommendations on Brazil to President Biden and the New Adminstration," which provides a background analysis of Brazil's current situation, focusing on ten main areas with a list of policy recommendations.
Parental Intervention in School, Academic Pressure, and Childhood Diagnoses of ADHD
Jayanti Owens recently published "Parental intervention in school, academic pressure, and childhood diagnoses of ADHD," in Social Science & Medicine. The article delves into the dramatic increase in childhood diagnoses of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the U.S. in recent decades.
Can the 25th Amendment Save Democracy?
Rose McDermott is the author of "Presidential Leadership, Illness, and Decision Making", and regularly comments on presidential health and power. Most recently her work has appeared in Vox, the Atlantic, and the Economic Times. Following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, we asked her to provide additional analysis of the history and potential application of the 25th Amendment.
The Larger Forces Behind the January 6, 2021 Insurrection
In January 2021, Eric Patashnik and Wendy J. Schiller provided commentary on the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol. Their insights draws from points made in their recently published edited volume, "Dynamics of American Democracy," (University of Kansas Press).
Energy and International Conflict
Jeff D. Colgan and Jan B. Stockbruegger co-wrote a chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Energy Politics entitled, "Energy and International Conflict" which reviews the ways in which energy has contributed to modern international wars and conflicts.
Social Class, Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Child Well-Being
Jayanti Owens recently wrote, "Social Class, Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Child Well-Being." In it, Owens explores the positive and negative effects and implications of ADHD diagnoses in children. Her research is based on disentangling the effects of a positive diagnosis from that of children's underlying behaviors, social contexts, and medication treatment.
Beyond Feminism? Jineolojî and the Kurdish Women’s Freedom Movement
In December 2020, Nadje Al-Ali co-wrote, "Beyond Feminism? Jineolojé and the Kurdish Women's Freedom Movement." In it, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies Nadje Al-Ali and co-author Dr. Isabel Käser explore the concept of Jineolojé, a new science and paradigm developed by Kurdish women to challenge Western androcentric knowledge production and address gender-based inequalities within Kurdish society.
Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil War
Robert Blair is the author of, "Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil War." In it, Blair proposes a new theory to explain how the international community can help establish the rule of law in the world's weakest and most war-torn states, focusing on the crucial but often underappreciated role of the United Nations.
Ethics in Field Experimentation: A Call to Establish New Standards to Protect the Public From Unwanted Manipulation and Real Harms
In November 2020, Rose McDermott co-wrote, "Ethics in Field Experimentation: A Call to Establish New Standards to Protect the Public From Unwanted Manipulation and Real Harms." In it, Professor McDermott and co-author Peter K. Hatemi (Pennsylvania State University) delve into the importance of creating new ethical research guidelines for field experiments.
Anticipation and Consumption
In "Anticipation and Consumption," Neil Thakral analyzes how the timing of information affects consumption decisions using data from the 2008 stimulus payments in the U.S. and data from randomized experiments in Kenya and Malawi.
Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition and Government Performance
In December 2020, Eric M. Patashnik and Wendy J. Schiller published "Dynamics of American Democracy: Partisan Polarization, Political Competition and Government Performance." This edited volume brings together leading scholars and practitioners to examine the challenges plaguing contemporary American politics, including ideological polarization, partisan sorting, and legislative stalemate.
Science, Politics, and the Pandemic
In November 2020, J. Nicholas Ziegler wrote "Science, Politics, and the Pandemic," a piece that compares the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom's approach to containing COVID-19, specifically focusing on the striking variations in their use of scientific expertise to understand the new pathogen.
The Vatican’s Role in the Finaly Children’s Kidnapping Case
In October 2020, David Kertzer co-wrote, "The Vatican's Role in the Finaly Children's Kidnapping Case," a piece expanding on the abduction of Robert and Gérald Finaly, two French Jewish orphans of the Holocaust, who were taken when their parents were deported to their death at Auschwitz in 1944.