About

About:

Welcome to The Quantitative Peace, a blog dedicated to empirical international relations and comparative politics with a specific focus on quantitative and formal studies.  The goal is to discuss, elaborate, critique, and announce current and emerging research in the subfields that is relevant to the study of international relations and comparative politics.  Additionally, upcoming events and announcements are posted while popular press articles and news stories are highlighted as they relate to our field.

Why?

We at the Quantitative Peace believe that social scientists in international relations and comparative politics make an important contribution to understanding the systematic patterns across the globe.  The field of world politics currently represents a pivotal interaction between markets, states, and non-states actors and has done so since the formation of states (if not before).  However, the knowledge we have is not well dissemated to the public avenues and the blogs that report on emerging trends in the field are few in number.  As such, we offer another avenue for which people can view important work, discuss its implications, and potentially engage its authors.

People

Michael A. Allen, Founder
http://www.ma-allen.com

Michael is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Binghamton University with a focus in international Relations, Comparative Politics, and Methodology.  Currently, his substantive interests include hegemonic stability theory, imperialism, strategic deployment of military bases, strategy in conflict, asymmetrical conflict, and related issues explored through formal and quantitative lenses.   

Cynthia Van Maanen, Founding Contributor

Cynthia is a PhD student in Political Science at Binghamton University.  Her major field is Comparative Politics, and her minor field is World Politics. Her research interests straddle these two subfields, centering on the substantive issue of subversion; specifically, she studies the strategy of marginalized political actors, repression, dissent, and the institutional factors involved in conflict.  She is also interested in the politics of Spain and Latin America, and how the governments in these countries have been affected by the activity of marginalized actors.

Julie VanDusky, Founding Contributor
http://www.julievandusky.com

Julie VanDusky is a doctoral candidate in Political Science at Binghamton University. Her focus is Comparative Politics, American Politics, and Quantitative Research Methods. She is specifically interested in institutional choice and development. Her dissertation focuses on the development of decentralized property protection institutions in states where key state actors do not protect property properly. She recently received a Fulbright to do archival research and teach in Mexico City in the upcoming academic year.

Jason Steck, Guest Contributor

Jason Steck is resident instructor of international relations at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He is also an ABD PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, specializing in international relations and comparative politics.  In his research, he focuses on the process of change in civil-military relations as well as the the strategic choices that actors make in situations of international conflict. Prior to his graduate education, he served for 15 years in the United States Air Force, including 5 years at the United States Strategic Command.