publications
Peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
2026
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JPRThe Gender Digital Divide and Gender Gaps in Collective ActionJournal of Peace Research, 2026
Research shows that women are less likely to protest than men and have less access to cellphones. Since studies indicate that cellphones can boost protest participation, we ask whether the gender gap in mobile ownership influences gender disparities in protest turnout. We find that the growing gender digital divide in cellphone ownership exacerbates the participation gap. We use survey data from Africa to show that where women systematically own fewer cellphones than men, they protest less frequently than men. We use a variety of methodological techniques to address concerns of endogeneity. We also probe one mechanism underpinning this relationship; we demonstrate that women who do not own cellphones face a political information disadvantage that limits their engagement. We conclude that unequal cellphone access further entrenches women’s position on the political margins.
2025
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EncyclopediaDigital Divide and GenderIn The Sage International Encyclopedia of Politics and Gender, vol. 4, 278–285, 2025
The world is more interconnected than ever, with billions of people relying on mobile devices. In low and middle-income countries, mobile devices are the primary means of accessing the internet. Mobile devices provide significant economic benefits and facilitate access to essential information and government services. Increases in mobile device ownership boost household consumption and reduce poverty, improve individual health, provide access to timely information during emergencies, and help people feel more secure. However, there is a significant gender-based digital divide, wherein men have greater access to, use of, and benefits from digital technologies, including mobile devices and the internet, than do women. In this entry, data on the gender digital divide and the political implications of this divide are discussed.
2024
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Asian Surv.China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Economic Development or Strategic Statecraft?Asian Survey, 2024
Is China using the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to advance its economic development or to fulfill broader geopolitical objectives? While the BRI is often touted as a primarily economic venture to address domestic overcapacity, this paper posits that political objectives are equally important. Drawing on selectorate theory, this study examines whether China uses this initiative for political purposes. Specifically, if China employs the BRI for political reasons, it would be more likely to partner with authoritarian countries that are more amenable to political influence. Using logistic and Cox models to analyze data from 2013 to 2020, findings suggest that political considerations are as relevant as economic ones. This research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the BRI within global political and economic contexts and explains China’s international strategy.
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HandbookMixed Member Systems, Corruption, and Accountability: Evidence from TaiwanIn Gender and Corruption in Democracies: A Handbook, Edward Elgar, 2024
Are citizens more likely to punish women politicians for corruption than men? Previous studies have shown that women politicians are held to higher standards than men. Gender stereotypes hold that women should exhibit traits such as honesty, compassion, and moral purity, and thus less likely than men to engage in corruption. When women violate these gendered expectations and are implicated in corruption scandals, it could lead to harsher backlash at the polls, above and beyond the response elicited by male politicians who were initially held to lower or different standards. We investigate this question in the unique cultural and historical context of Taiwan, arguing that cultural and institutional differences may condition voters’ desire to punish corruption at the polls, providing important insights into the impact of gender on voter accountability.
2023
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Asian Surv.Cleaning Up Its Act: The Ecological Environmental Protection Plan and China Urban Air PollutionAsian Survey, 2023
The urgent and global concern of environmental problems transcends local and regional boundaries, posing significant challenges for policymakers in developing countries. Amid conflicting economic and environmental goals, evaluating the efficacy of regulatory policies becomes increasingly critical. This study investigates the effectiveness of public policy in incentivizing developing nations to prioritize environmental regulation, with a specific focus on China's most recent environmental policy, the Ecological Environmental Protection Plan (the EEP Plan). Using multilevel modeling and difference-in-differences estimation with data from six of China’s most populous cities between 2014 and 2019, we see evidence of air quality improvements following the implementation of the policy. Furthermore, we observe greater enhancements in air quality in the cities most affected by the institutional details of the policy.
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Book Ch.The Disruptive Nature of Short Video-Based Social Media Platforms in China: The Case of TikTokIn Government Response to Innovative Technology, IGI Global, 2023
Can short video-based social media platforms disrupt economic markets and upend government censorship? This chapter examines how this modern information communication technology disrupts government regulation and the market as a whole in China, using TikTok as an example. It argues that a video social media platform with unlimited content and low usage thresholds, combined with citizens' lack of legal awareness, makes it easy to expose privacy, encounter fraud, and infringe upon intellectual property. These factors are exacerbated by TikTok's video format, since video-based content is more difficult to censor in a timely manner. The chapter concludes by discussing policy implications.
book project
- Mind the Gap: Gender Gaps in Political Engagement and the Gender Digital Divide
with Tiffany D. Barnes, Emily Rains, and Jakana Thomas. Cambridge Elements, under contract. Complete draft available.
public writing
- Automated Genocide
with Matthew Penn. E-International Relations, 2024. How AI-enabled surveillance and automated targeting could turn repression into an algorithmic kill chain. - Cleaning Up China’s Air: The Effectiveness of the EEP Plan in Beijing
with James R. Masterson. E-International Relations, 2021.