I am a Lecturer in Political Science (Comparative Politics) at the University of Melbourne. I study authoritarian politics, mainly from a global comparative perspective, and have a particular interest in North Korea.
I am currently working on two main projects. First, a book manuscript, Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive, examines the causes and effects of elite purges. I argue that dictators purge elites to consolidate power, punish insubordination, and scapegoat them to alleviate popular threats. Rather than fomenting instability, purges help dictators survive. Second, I am working on a project about how dictators manage elites to facilitate succession, which uses quantitative and qualitative data from North Korea.
My work has been published or is forthcoming in journals including British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and World Politics.
PhD in Political Science, 2020
University of Missouri
MA in Intelligence and International Security, 2013
King's College London
BSc in Politics, 2010
Bristol University
Purges: How Dictators Fight to Survive (book manuscript)
“The Effects of a Scapegoating Purge on Autocratic Popular Approval: Evidence from Turkey”
“The Effects of Blame Shifting Strategies Following Large-scale Disasters: Evidence from Turkey” (with Jonas Willibald Schmid and Fulya Apaydin)
Authoritarian Survival and Leadership Succession in North Korea and Beyond (book manuscript, with Peter Ward) - conditionally accepted with The Cambridge Elements series on Politics and Society in East Asia
“The Varieties of Regular Leadership Transitions in Autocracies” (with Austin S. Matthews and Peter Ward)
“Rules to Live (and Die) By: Introducting the Global Succession Rules Dataset” (with Anne Meng)
Graduate
Asia Pacific: Zone of Conflict or Peace? | Melbourne | Spring 2024
Comparative Institutions and Public Policy | York | Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023
Spatial Interdependence in Theory and Practice (lab instructor) | IPSA-USP | Spring 2018
Undergraduate
Comparative Politics | Melbourne | Fall 2024
Empirical Research Design | York | Fall 2023
Political Enquiry | York | Spring 2022
Introduction to Democratic Politics | York | Fall 2021, Fall 2022
Comparative Political Systems | Mizzou | Spring 2019
“The Kims Aren’t Just Looking at Things: What Leadership Events Can Tell Us About North Korean Politics.” The National Committee on North Korea and the Woodrow Wilson Center, September 2022.
“Before Categorising Autocracies, We Need to Count Them Accurately.” The Loop, August 12, 2022.
“The Logic of Autocratic Purges.” Political Violence at a Glance, January 10, 2022.
“Review of The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un.” Journal of Asian Studies 79(4): 1013-1014.
“How Would Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Handle North Korea?” The National Interest, August 20, 2020.
“Body Politic: Why Kim Jong Un’s Health Still Matters.” NK News, June 26, 2020.
“The Importance of Regime Similarity to Explain Democratic Diffusion.” Democratic Audit, June 26, 2019 (with Sheena Chestnut Greitens).
“North Korea is Marching with South Korea at the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Does This Mean a Diplomatic Thaw is Coming?” The Washington Post, February 9, 2018.
“Review of North Korea: Markets and Military Rule.” Democratization 25(1): 187-188.
“Will U.N. Sanctions Stop North Korean Missile tests? Don’t Count On It.” The Washington Post, August 9, 2017.