Angela Lu (Sociology)
Alexandra Blackman (Political Science)
Eunho Song (Political Science) & Jacob Reidhead (Sociology)
Pizza and beverages will be provided.
This week the Forum will host three back-to-back presentations on political networks in China, the Middle East, and North Korea.
Angela Lu (sociology) on mobility of political elites in China
The current study tries to explain the mobility pattern of political elites in China. Previous research on this subject analyzes promotion of Chinese political elites from the perspective of contest mobility, with a focus on competition in economic performance. This study, using information from a unique data set, finds that network factors are significant dimensions to consider in explaining political mobility, whereas economic performance does not offer valid causal inference. In addition, the network flow patterns among bureaucratic organizations are revealed using a Markov chain analysis, which sheds additional insight on the phenomenon of political mobility.
Alexandra Blackman (political science) on Salafi Islamist political parties in the Middle East
This summer I will begin preliminary fieldwork on Salafi Islamist political parties in the Middle East. I am interested in understanding how these groups use localized religious networks, specifically local mosques and preachers to mobilize support.
Eunho Song (political science) & Jacob Reidhead (sociology) on informal organization of the North Korean political system
There is considerable debate about the informal roles and power of agencies within North Korea's government, party, and military, particularly following the transition of power from Kim Jong-Il to Kim Jong-Un. By studying the job mobility patterns of North Korean elites over the last 15 years, this project seeks to characterize the informal flows and fiefdoms underlying the formal organization of the's DPRK political system.