Is there a democratic war-fighting advantage? A significant body of research finds that democracies are more likely to win wars than non-democracies. A recent study challenges this argument. In their new publication, Dr. Souva and Ph.D. candidate, Richard Saunders, argue that the outcome of major battles and interstate wars is primarily a function of which…
Tag: phd in political science
Ph.D. Spotlight: Is State Safety Net Capacity Adequate to Meet Basic Needs?
The decentralization of welfare allows governments to experiment and create a variety of goods in response to differences in constituent pressures, institutional constraints, and resource constraints. An important measure of the performance of a state’s social safety net is how effective it is at protecting the less fortunate during a contracting economy. State governments influence…
PhD Spotlight: Local Participation in Sustainable Development Efforts
This dissertation explores the impact of local participation on the performance of sustainable development projects. The first chapter of this dissertation uses game theory to explore how a strategic, cost-sensitive development agency will use activities like local participation to strengthen the effectiveness of a payment-based project (wherein payments incentivize local cooperation). This analysis highlights the…
Ph.D. Spotlight: Income Inequality and Mass Support for Redistribution
The United States stands out as the most economically unequal industrialized democracy. The wealthiest Americans hold nearly as much income today as they did prior to the Great Depression. Despite decades of rising inequality, public support for redistribution has not increased in a meaningful way. This is puzzling because it runs counter to canonical models…
Policy Pub: Campaigns in a New Environment: A Retrospective into Political Campaigns in 2020
To learn about these topics in more depth, please navigate here to watch the full Policy Pub and Q&A from Dr. Hassell, presented by FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. This policy pub discusses politics in a time of crisis and change and other new realities that have made this year’s national elections unlike any…
Policy Pub: What’s Next? Comprehending Post-Election
To learn about these topics in more depth, please navigate here to watch the full Policy Pub webinar presented by FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The FSU Alumni Association, in partnership with the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, the LeRoy Collins Institute and the FSU Institute of Politics, hosted this…
Ph.D. Spotlight: Democratic Blind Spots: Organized Labor and the Persistence of Subnational Authoritarianism in Mexico
Newly transitioned democracies frequently exhibit authoritarian traits at the subnational level. Despite incentives to transition to democracy, subnational transitions occur unevenly. Some occur through natural electoral change, others due to intervention, while some enclaves are able to resist these pressures entirely. Thus, a question arises: under what conditions are subnational autocracies able to resist these…
Once lockdown was over, Germans on lower incomes went out while others stayed at home
This piece first appeared on LSE School of Public Policy. During the lockdown, Germans of all income levels stayed at home. But what happened once it was lifted? Amanda Driscoll (Florida State University), Jay Krehbiel (West Virginia University) and Michael Nelson (The Pennsylvania State University) discuss a study that finds people on lower incomes are much more likely to…
Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions 