Background
Amanda Licht received her PhD from the University of Iowa in 2010, specializing in international relations and political methodology. Her research focuses on how the domestic political incentives of leaders targeted by foreign policy affect the outcome of influence attempts. Her dissertation argues that to understand the processes of foreign policy success and failure, we must consider both the effects of interventions on leader survival and the domestic cost of providing concessions.
Licht's working projects follow the two-pronged framework of her dissertation, with article-length pieces on both sanctions and foreign aid. In co-authored work, she applies her theoretical perspective to processes of civil and international conflict as well as political repression. Her work has appeared in The Journal of Conflict Resolution, Political Analysis, International Studies Quarterly, The Journal of Peace Research, and Political Science Research and Methods.
Select Publications
- Greene, Zachary D. and Amanda A. Licht (2023) “Donor Political Preferences and the Allocation of Aid: Patterns in recipient type” Conflict Management and Peace Science, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942231195300.
- Licht, Amanda A. (2022) "Introducing Regular Turnover Details, 1960-2015: A dataset on world leaders’ legal removal from office." Journal of Peace Research, 59(2): 277-285.
- Wu, Cathy Xuanxuan, Amanda A. Licht, and Scott Wolford. (2020) "Same as the Old Boss? Domestic Politics and the Turnover Trap." International Studies Quarterly, advance view. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqaa074
- Grauvogel, Julia, Licht Amanda A., and Christian von Soest. (2017) “Sanctions and Signals: How International Sanction Threats Trigger Domestic Protest in Targeted Regimes.” International Studies Quarterly, 61(1): 86-97. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sq...
- Licht, Amanda A. (2011) “Change Comes with Time: Substantive Interpretation of Nonproportional Hazards.” Political Analysis, 19(2): 227-43.
Education
- PhD in Political Science, University of Iowa
- Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Honors, University of North Dakota
Research Interests
- Leader Survival and Turnover
- Domestic Politics and International Relations
- Power and Influence through Foreign Economic Policy
- Repression and Dissent Dynamics
Teaching Interests
- PLSC 117: Intro to World Politics
- PLSC 441: Leaders in IR
- PLSC 319: America the Powerful
- PLSC 328: International Cooperation Theory