Research Profile
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University. My research focuses on how individuals' political attitudes and behaviors are shaped by personal experiences, particularly their economic backgrounds. I am interested in the political and security consequences of changing international and domestic economic conditions, with a regional focus on East Asia.
My dissertation examines how early-life economic experiences, including exposure to inequality, growth & openness, and inflation, shape lifelong political preferences for the neoliberal international order, with implications for foreign aid support, trade policy attitudes, and populist support. I use surveys, historical data, and experimental methods across multiple countries.
Research Areas
- International/Comparative Political Economy
- International Economic Order: Trade, Technology, and Economic Crises
- Economic Security and Statecraft
- Political Socialization and Formative Experiences
Education
Columbia University
Ph.D. Political Science (Major: International Relations; Minor: Comparative Politics)
Ph.D. Political Science (Major: International Relations; Minor: Comparative Politics)
2027 (Expected)
SAIS, Johns Hopkins University
M.A. International Political Economy and International Economics
M.A. International Political Economy and International Economics
2018
Hunan University & Colorado State University
B.A. Business Administration
B.A. Business Administration
2016
Articles
- Dissertation Article
- People in European countries with exposure to high inflation during early adulthood
are lower in their political trust and more supportive of populist parties, especially
those focusing on welfare expansion.
- Keywords: Inflation, Populism, Early Experiences, Public Opinion, European Politics
- Higher political trust is associated with better health governance outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by increasing citizens’ compliance with public health policies and
increasing the authorities' decisiveness in rolling out mitigation measures.
- Keywords: Health governance, political trust
Revise & Resubmit
- Dissertation Article
- This paper demonstrates that individuals exposed to high income inequality during
their early adulthood develop significantly stronger, lifelong support for overseas
aid, a relationship driven primarily by a socialized belief in the moral obligation
and effectiveness of such assistance.
- Keywords: Foreign Aid, Economic Inequality, Early Experiences, Public Opinion, Developed Countries
- Job Market Paper & Dissertation Article
- Early adulthood experiences with growth and openness foster lasting pro-trade attitudes
by shaping perceptions through pro-trade ideas and higher education.
- Keywords: Formative experiences, trade preferences, East and Southeast Asia
Papers Under Review
- By distinguishing between nationalistic mercantilists who favor exports and financially
anxious isolationists who reject trade entirely, this study provides a two-dimensional
framework for understanding why public trade preferences are more nuanced than a simple "anti-trade" sentiment.
- Keywords: Globalization Backlash, Mercantilism, Isolationism, Survey Experiment, United States and China
- Americans discount technologies owned by foreign, competing, and non-democratic countries, yet still prefer
advanced foreign products to average domestic ones, indicating that the public will trade some
security risk for economic efficiency.
- Keywords: Technological preferences, Economic Security, Geopolitical Competition, the United States, Survey experiment
Working Papers
- Inflation crises are more likely to lead to trade liberalization under right-wing governments,
reflecting partisan shifts in public opinion and the electoral advantages of pro-trade positions.
- Keywords: Inflation crisis, trade liberalization, partisanship, electoral politics
- High early-life inflation fosters a strong aversion to price rises, but moderate inflation under robust
labor markets weakens this effect, as early experiences shape perceptions of inflation's broader economic
consequences.
- Keywords: Formative experiences, macroeconomic attitudes, Europe
Selected Works in Progress
International Cooperation between Nationalists
Support for Industrial Policies
Career Path and Political Preferences (with Jerry Min)
Life Experiences and Attitudes toward Military Alliance (with Allison Carnegie and Elizabeth Saunders)
Teaching
Teaching Interests: IPE/CPE, globalization, economic security, politics of technology, Chinese politics, research design and survey methods
International Political Economy & International Relations
Politics of International Economic Relations
Fall 2024
International Politics
Spring 2022
Advanced Topics in International Trade (Graduate)
Spring 2018
Chinese Politics & Comparative Politics
Chinese Politics
Fall 2021, Spring 2023
China's Foreign Relations
Spring 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2025
Autocracy and Democracy
Fall 2020