2023 Graduate Student Publications

Globalization and social identities at the individual level: Populism from shifting at the top?

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:02:10 +0000

Globalization and social identities at the individual level: Populism from shifting at the top? Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 12:02

Globalization and social identities at the individual level: Populism from shifting at the top?

By: David H Bearce, Andrew McLeer, Ken Stallman

Abstract:

This paper reconsiders the proposition that globalization leads to more transnational and less national identities. Providing an argument specifying how these various international processes could shift identities at the individual level, it hypothesizes that globalization should be associated with more transnational/less national identities for people toward the top of society based on their experience with and information about globalization, but not for those at the bottom. Based on the identity shift happening at the top but not at the bottom, globalization should also be associated with a larger identity difference between the elite and the mass public. Using data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey conducted across fifty-six countries from 2010 to 2014 and the seventh wave across forty-four countries from 2017 to 2020, it presents results consistent with these hypotheses.

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God, Guns, and Guts: Racial Priming and White Support for the Expression of Civil Liberties Amongst Black Americans

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:50:45 +0000

God, Guns, and Guts: Racial Priming and White Support for the Expression of Civil Liberties Amongst Black Americans Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 11:50

God, Guns, and Guts: Racial Priming and White Support for the Expression of Civil Liberties Amongst Black Americans

By: Courtney J. Nava

Abstract:

To whom are white Americans willing to extend basic aspects of democratic expression?
This project is motivated by the rise of racial tensions in the wake of the Black Lives Matter
protests and the lack of empirical studies looking at white Americans’ political tolerance of Black
Americans. I argue that white Americans will be more supportive of the civil liberties of their
fellow white Americans, and that priming them to consider Black Americans’ civil liberties will
reduce their support for such protections. I also examine negative stereotypes of Black Americans
and levels of white identity as potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. To test these
expectations, I conduct three web experiments on Lucid Theorem with large, high quality samples of
respondents. I use linear regression and heterogeneous treatment effect tests to determine the extent to which white Americans are (or are not) tolerant toward Black Americans, and how different
mechanisms condition this. Overall, I find that the majority of white Americans in my samples
are supportive of Black civil liberty expression. However, a substantial and coalesced minority
appears to be unsupportive: those with negative stereotype ascription, strong white identity, and
Republican partisanship. The results of this project speak to the willingness of white Americans
to grant democracy to Black Americans, and the mechanisms through which this relationship is
conditioned.

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Can Interventions Reduce Rural Poverty While Conserving the Environment? A Systematic Review of Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:38:49 +0000

Can Interventions Reduce Rural Poverty While Conserving the Environment? A Systematic Review of Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 11:38

Can Interventions Reduce Rural Poverty While Conserving the Environment? A Systematic Review of Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials

By: Adriana Molina-Garzón, Lakshmi Iyer, Phani Devarakonda, Valena McEwen, Braden Roosevelt, Nicolas Tsypin, Aemro Worku, Poulomi Ghosh, Ellis A Adams, Krister P Andersson, Daniel C Miller, Notre Dame Halls

Abstract:

Efforts to achieve poverty reduction alongside environmental conservation are hampered by the lack of credible causal evidence. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are an established method for producing such evidence. Yet existing knowledge remains fragmented: most studies focus on poverty or conservation in isolation, with few examining both outcomes. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review of RCTs of interventions in rural areas of low-and middleincome countries (LMICs) that measured poverty alleviation and/or environmental conservation outcomes. We identified 112 studies published since 1990, only five of which measured both poverty and environmental outcomes. Studies assessed a wide range of interventions, with monetary and mixed livelihood programs (eg cash transfers or price support) most prevalent in poverty-related studies, and training, monitoring, and compliance programs most common among conservation-related studies. Impacts were heterogeneous across the evidence base. Multi-component interventions combining monetary and non-monetary support more

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REDD+ Impacts on Forest Conservation and Local Livelihoods: A Longitudinal Assessment in the Brazilian Amazon

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:28:30 +0000

REDD+ Impacts on Forest Conservation and Local Livelihoods: A Longitudinal Assessment in the Brazilian Amazon Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 11:28

REDD+ Impacts on Forest Conservation and Local Livelihoods: A Longitudinal Assessment in the Brazilian Amazon

By: Cauê D Carrilho, Julia Naime, Adriana Molina-Garzón, Carla Morsello, Colas Chervier

Abstract:

REDD+ is supposed to advance forest conservation and climate change mitigation while improving rural livelihoods or, at least, doing no harm to local people. Accordingly, many REDD+ initiatives provide incentives to enhance farmers’ livelihoods and reduce their deforestation practices. However, evidence of such win-win outcomes is rare. Using counterfactual impact evaluation methods, we investigated the impacts of an incentive-based REDD+ program in the state of Acre (western Brazilian Amazon) on a series of land use and livelihood outcomes. Impacts were evaluated during and after the program, contributing to the scientific knowledge about REDD+ effectiveness and permanence of outcomes. We used panel survey data from 262 households (treatment: 150; comparison: 112) collected over three years (2010, 2013, 2019). We found that the program saved an average of 6.23% to 7.33%(6.25 to 7.35 ha) of forest cover per participant household in the first years of implementation by reducing pasture expansion. Forest loss later resumed, but not at a rate that eliminated previous forest conservation gains. On the livelihood side, impacts were not significant at the beginning of the program. Yet, long-term increases in farm and total income were detected. On aggregate, our findings suggest that incentive-based programs can achieve the hoped-for win-win outcomes for REDD+.

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Place-based solutions for global social-ecological dilemmas: An analysis of locally grounded, diversified, and cross-scalar initiatives in the Amazon

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:20:16 +0000

Place-based solutions for global social-ecological dilemmas: An analysis of locally grounded, diversified, and cross-scalar initiatives in the Amazon Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 11:20

Place-based solutions for global social-ecological dilemmas: An analysis of locally grounded, diversified, and cross-scalar initiatives in the Amazon

By: Marina Londres, Carl Salk, Krister P Andersson, Maria Tengö, Eduardo S Brondizio, Gabriela Russo Lopes, Sacha MO Siani, Adriana Molina-Garzon, Tais Sonetti-Gonzalez, Diego Razuri Montoya, Célia Futemma, Fabio de Castro, Daiana CM Tourne

Abstract:

The Amazon has a diverse array of social and environmental initiatives that adopt forest-based land-use practices to promote rural development and support local livelihoods. However, they are often insufficiently recognized as transformative pathways to sustainability and the factors that explain their success remain understudied. To address this gap, this paper proposes that local initiatives that pursue three particular pathways are more likely to generate improvements in social-ecological outcomes: (1) maintaining close connections with local grassroots, (2) pursuing diversity in productive activities performed and partnership choices, and (3) developing cross-scale collaborations. To test these ideas we collected and analyzed observations of 157 initiatives in Brazil and Peru, applying a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses. Our results show that initiatives maintaining groundedness in representing the interests and concerns of local actors while partnering with other organizations at multiple scales are more likely to develop joint solutions to social-ecological problems. Partnerships and support from external organizations may strengthen and enhance local capabilities, providing a platform for negotiating interests and finding common ground. Such diversified pathways demonstrate the power of local actors to transcend their own territories and have broader impacts in sustainability objectives. Our findings highlight the need to make governmental and non-governmental support (e.g., financial, technical, political) available according to local needs to enable local initiatives’ own ways of addressing global environmental change.

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Interdependent solidarity : a comparative case study of participatory communities in southwest Mexico

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:44:34 +0000

Interdependent solidarity : a comparative case study of participatory communities in southwest Mexico Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 08:44

Interdependent solidarity : a comparative case study of participatory communities in southwest Mexico

By: Tania Massicotte

Abstract:

In a collective, the unconstrained will of the rational individual may seek to maximize self-interested ventures at the group's expense, making collective governance an unsustainable option. This dilemma refers to the free rider problem, which may be solved in some ways, including by the state or through a market-based control system of monitoring and sanctioning. Two significant issues arise from this vision: 1) both the state and agents controlling private property-based institutions, unchecked by higher constraints, will also seek to maximize self-interest at the cost of the collective, and 2) individuals are constitutive of collectives and collectives are constitutive of individuals, dynamically informing interests, preferences and decisions. I argue that interdependent solidarity, an underappreciated relational factor, can act as a social "control" mechanism in a participatory community, ensuring sustainability. Using descriptive cases of participatory communities of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Michoacán/Guerrero, all subnational units within Southwest Mexico, this essay aims to demonstrate the existence of mechanisms fostering perceived and acknowledged interdependence supervening over individualistic market logics.

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edefining the Diplomatic Stage: The Evolution of Feminine Redefining the Diplomatic Stage: The Evolution of Feminine Foreign Policy in the Russo-Ukrainian War

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:40:16 +0000

edefining the Diplomatic Stage: The Evolution of Feminine Redefining the Diplomatic Stage: The Evolution of Feminine Foreign Policy in the Russo-Ukrainian War Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 08:40

Redefining the Diplomatic Stage: The Evolution of Feminine Redefining the Diplomatic Stage: The Evolution of Feminine Foreign Policy in the Russo-Ukrainian War

By: Amber Brittain-Hale

Abstract:

This has been a year of breaking historical records. July 4, 2023 was the earth’s hottest day in history, and then July 5th was even hotter. In just 7 months, 2023 had already set the US record for the most school shootings in a year. Former president Donald Trump is the first American president to be indicted, Putin seems breathtakingly oblivious to his arrest warrant for war crimes issues by the International Criminal Court, and Netanyahu – the longest serving prime minister – has inspired the biggest protests in Israeli history. While the hotel workers’ strike has not been exactly record-breaking, it raises epic questions about the future trajectory of the labor movement, and APSA’s relationship to this process. All this earth-shattering news makes one whether past will continue to be prologue and gives our members much to think about, as we struggle to shed light on the present with our investigations of the past. Our section has a fantastic line-up of 23 panels and roundtables this year, plus a terrific selection of posters, and our heartfelt thanks go to program co-chairs Didac Queralt and Sarah Staszak for their energy and vision in putting together such a fine program. The panels reflect the impressive, boundary-spanning scope of our section, as they present cutting-edge research on American Political Development, comparative politics, historical political economy, and international relations. I hope that you can attend as many panels as possible.

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Growth, Demographics, Slavery, and Voting in U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 1840-1860

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:35:20 +0000

Growth, Demographics, Slavery, and Voting in U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 1840-1860 Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 08:35

Growth, Demographics, Slavery, and Voting in U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 1840-1860

By: Alex Jensen, Madeline Mader, Srinivas “Chinnu” Parinandi, Anand Edward Sokhey, Michael Byrd

Abstract:

While scholars have given extensive study to the role of slavery as part of America’s political development, less attention has been given to how the institution affected subnational elections in the nineteenth century. More generally, little systematic work has been done on gubernatorial voting patterns in the antebellum period, and particularly on how the slavery positions of the parties mattered relative to other factors influencing gubernatorial vote share. In this paper we examine gubernatorial voting patterns in the antebellum period of 1840-1860, modeling vote shares for each election. We find that pro-slavery views matter second only to incumbency in predicting gubernatorial vote share. Results give quantitative heft to the degree to which slavery was a central organizing issue in nineteenth century political life, show how slavery was not only an issue that dominated federal but also state politics, and suggest that gubernatorial candidates sought labels communicating their slavery bonafides as a path to electoral success.

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Federal Slavery Legislation and Voting in U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 1840–1860

Avery Lord — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:24:46 +0000

Federal Slavery Legislation and Voting in U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 1840–1860 Avery Lord Thu, 06/18/2026 - 08:24

Federal Slavery Legislation and Voting in U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 1840–1860

By: Alexander Jensen, Madeline Mader, Srinivas C. Parinandi, Anand Sokhey, Michael Byrd

Abstract:

The demise of the Whig Party in the 1850s has long been a subject of great attention among scholars and the general public. However, this historical development has received less attention from the vantage point of quantitative empirical analysis. Using state-level gubernatorial electoral returns from 1840 to 1860, we assess how major events like the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act/Compromise of 1850, the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act, and the rise of the Know Nothing Party influenced the transformation of America’s party system in the lead up to the Civil War. We find evidence linking the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Act to a drop in support for Northern Whigs, Free Soilers, and (more suggestively) Northern Democrats. The results are consistent with a narrative of the Kansas–Nebraska Act unleashing fears among Free Soilers, ultimately leading to a coalescing around the new Republican Party.

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Framing Immigrants at the Intersection of Education and Immigration Enforcement in United States Newspapers.

Avery Lord — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 19:53:35 +0000

Framing Immigrants at the Intersection of Education and Immigration Enforcement in United States Newspapers. Avery Lord Wed, 06/17/2026 - 13:53

Framing Immigrants at the Intersection of Education and Immigration Enforcement in United States Newspapers.

By: Allan Colbern, Shawn Walker, María del Pilar Báez Lara, Katie Marie Glenn, Lauren Kater, Shelby Busha

Abstract:

The United States Supreme Court ruled in Plyler v. Doe (1982) that all children
regardless of their legal immigration status have a fundamental right to K-12 education.
Despite education being a fundamental right, it remains fragile and contested for
undocumented immigrants. Federal courts have had to reaffirm Plyler multiple times,
including issuing a permanent injunction over California’s Proposition 187 (1994), which
banned undocumented children from K–12 public schools and required officials and
teachers to report anyone they suspected of being undocumented to federal
immigration authorities. More recently, the courts blocked Alabama’s HB 56 (2012)
provision that required schools to check and report newly enrolled K–12 students’
immigration status. The entanglement between postsecondary education and
immigration, which falls outside of Plyler’s protection, has grown more pronounced over
the past two decades. Federal immigration law in 1996 opened the door for states to
actively regulate undocumented immigrants’ right to postsecondary education,
including banning admissions or creating discriminatory hardships by denying in-state
tuition or financial aid. While a rich scholarship covers these policies and their effects,
no systematic study exists on the news framing of the intersection between education
and immigration. This article examines 40,469 news articles published from 1980 to 2022
in six national and state news sources in the United States to explore the
(dis)connections between education (K-12 and postsecondary) and immigration.
Combining machine learning techniques and social network analysis with qualitative
coding, we show that reporters’ use of a range of experts creates a deep conflation of
education with immigration enforcement and illegality framing. Despite quests for
journalistic neutrality, we argue that the use of experts by reporters prevents immigrant
education from being a topic on its own or a topic where immigrants are framed
primarily in a positive and inclusive way.

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