I am a teaching assistant professor of comparative politics and international relations at Oklahoma State University. I teach a number of courses in these fields, including ethnic conflict, Russian and Central Asian politics, international organizations, and global economics. I also teach research methodology and data skills, including our department’s introductory methods courses and senior capstone class.
My research focuses on ethnic politics, conflict mediation, and democracy. I have long been interested in questions of identity and democracy, especially how minorities may be brought into a political system. These are important questions that affect all countries, as failure to integrate groups may result in political stability and a weakening of the quality of government.
I also have an avid interest in using technology in the classroom, and have published on the impact of blogs on students’ engagement with research sources and other learning goals. I also run a blog in my free time, with most of this blog features featuring news and analysis written by current and past students.
I also volunteer along with my dog Cooper as a pet therapy team for our campus’ therapy dog program, Pete’s Pet Posse.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at holleyh@okstate.edu.
PUBLICATIONS:
Political Competition and Right-Wing Terrorism: A County-Level Analysis of the United States
with Stephen C. Nemeth, Political Research Quarterly
Abstract: While many previous studies on U.S. right-wing violence center on factors such as racial threat and economic anxiety, we draw from comparative politics research linking electoral dynamics to anti-minority violence. Furthermore, we argue that the causes of right-wing terrorism do not solely rest on political, economic, or social changes individually, but on their interaction. Using a geocoded, U.S. county-level analysis of right-wing terrorist incidents from 1970 to 2016, we find no evidence that poorer or more diverse counties are targets of right-wing terrorism. Rather, right-wing violence is more common in areas where “playing the ethnic card” makes strategic sense for elites looking to shift electoral outcomes: counties that are in electorally competitive areas and that are predominantly white.
Link to a Monkey Cage article partially based on the article above: “Three key factors that drive far-right political violence — and two that don’t“
United Nations peacekeeping and terrorism: short-term risks and long-term benefits
with Stephen C. Nemeth and Jacob A. Mauslein; International Interactions
Abstract: Does the introduction of UN forces impact terrorism? We argue that at least initially, UN peacekeeping missions may significantly shift the local conflict bargaining process, creating incentives for terrorist and insurgent groups to increase their attacks against civilians. UN missions create a symbolic endpoint to initial negotiations, alter the balance of power between combatants, and may change the relationship between local combatants and the civilian population they rely on for support. We test this argument using monthly data from 12 African countries, analyzing the risk of terrorism at the local level. We find that the introduction of UN forces in an area significantly increases the short-term risk of terrorism, but longer missions in the country reduce this risk.
Ethnic Political Exclusion and Terrorism: Analyzing the Local Conditions for Violence
with Stephen C. Nemeth and Jacob A. Mauslein; Conflict Management and Peace Science
Abstract: Previous work finds that countries that contain an excluded group are at higher risk of terrorism. However, there are good reasons to think that the impact of exclusion may be more likely to motivate ethnic violence when this exclusion is paired with local conditions that increase awareness of intergroup competition. In this study, we examine sub-national terrorist violence and find that areas that contain an excluded ethnic group are at higher risk of violence. Moreover, this risk is heightened by regional population density, wealth, and country regime type.
Replication Data
Supplemental Files
The Impact of Blog-Style Writing on Student Learning Outcomes: A Pilot Study
Journal of Political Science Education
Abstract: Two major goals of teaching include educating students to communicate effectively and encouraging students to critically engage with information. To what extent can student blog writing help us achieve these goals? In this pilot study, I analyze how short “blog-style” writing assignments compare to more traditional short research essays in promoting student learning and engagement with research. I compare the two writing styles using a basic content analysis; I then analyze student self-reports on their engagement with class learning goals and whether each assignment encouraged further interest in the topic. I also examine the amount of time students devote to each assignment, how many drafts they prepare on each assignment, and how many and what sort of sources they use. Despite the data-gathering limits of the pilot study, I find preliminary support that blogs and essays best serve as complementary writing assignments, as each style encourages students to develop different research and writing skills.
National Identity: Civic, Ethnic, Hybrid, and Atomised Individuals
with Vicki L. Hesli; Europe-Asia Studies
Abstract: We challenge the civic–ethnic dichotomy drawn by previous authors and propose a four-category typology of identities based on out-group tolerance and in-group attachment. Drawing from work on national identity formation and nation-building, we test hypotheses about the processes that cause individuals to adopt one identity over others using survey data based on representative samples of five ethnic groups in Ukraine. We find that the effects of socialisation processes vary greatly depending upon ethnic group. Our results challenge some long-held assumptions about the potential destabilising effects of ‘ethnic’ identities and the degree to which ‘civic’ identities correspond to values and behaviours supportive of democracy.
IO Mediation of Interstate Conflicts: Moving Beyond the Global versus Regional Dichotomy
with Sara McLaughlin Mitchell and Stephen C. Nemeth; Journal of Conflict Resolution
Abstract: Regional and global intergovernmental organizations have grown both in number and scope, yet their role and effectiveness as conflict managers is not fully understood. Previous research efforts tend to categorize organizations solely by the scope of their membership, which obscures important sources of variation in institutional design at both the regional and global levels. International organizations will be more successful conflict managers if they are highly institutionalized, if they have members with homogeneous preferences, and if they have more established democratic members. These hypotheses are evaluated with data on territorial (1816-2001), maritime (1900-2001), and river (1900-2001) claims from the Issue Correlates of War (ICOW) project in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, and the Middle East. Empirical analysis suggests that international organizations are more likely to help disputing parties reach an agreement if they have more democratic members, if they are highly institutionalized, and when they use binding management techniques.
I teach a number of courses in the fields of comparative politics and international relations, including classes on ethnic conflict, conflict mediation, European politics, Russian and Central Asian politics, international organizations, and global economics. While my sample syllabi (see below) reflect classes I have taught recently or plan to offer in the near future, I have also offered classes on Democracy and Democratization, International Law, and Intro to International Relations.
Reflecting my interest in applied methodology, I also teach our department’s introductory methodology class and our senior capstone research course. I focus my introductory methodology class on helping students build a practical skill set, focusing the class on topics such as research and data literacy, basic statistical analysis, data visualization, statistical program training, and research ethics.
SYLLABI
Intro to Comparative Politics (Spring 2020)
Politics of the Global Economy (Spring 2020)
Weird Democracy: US Politics in a Global Perspective (Spring 2020) - 1 credit Honors Freshmen “Add-on” to American Government
European Politics (Fall 2019)
Senior Research Capstone/Ethnic Conflict (Fall 2019)
Introduction to Political Inquiry / Research Methodology (Fall 2017)
Politics of Russia and Eurasia (Fall 2018)
Counterinsurgency and Counterterrorism: The British Experience (Summer 2016) - Study Abroad trip to Cambridge University and Belfast, UK
International Organizations (Fall 2014)
Graduate Seminar in Comparative Politics (Spring 2019)
Updated April 2021
