Yena Kim

Welcome!

I am Yena Kim, a Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and incoming Hans J. Morgenthau Fellow at the O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center.

My research lies at the intersection of domestic politics and foreign policy: how domestic conditions shape a state's behavior abroad, and how international events shape politics at home—particularly in the domain of international cooperation and conflict. Specifically, I focus on the roles of leaders and domestic audiences, and the interaction between them, in both processes.

My dissertation, Populist Leaders in Power and International Cooperation, examines when and how populist leaders in democracies undermine international cooperation. I argue that domestic populist demand conditions this effect through two pathways. First, it determines whether a populist leader's ideology translates into non-cooperation, as leaders remain constrained by domestic audiences. Second, partner countries assess both the leader's convictions and the domestic demand that enables or restrains them, adjusting their own cooperation accordingly. I test this argument through cross-national statistical analyses, survey experiments, and qualitative case studies.

Besides my dissertation topic, I am also interested in alliance politics, provocation, and cooperation within international institutions and organizations.

Before pursuing my Ph.D., I earned a B.A. (Highest Honors) in Political Science and Russian Language and Literature and an M.A. in Political Science from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Please feel free to reach out at yena.kim@wisc.edu.