I am a PhD candidate in political economy at Duke University. I study how environmental politics constrains and creates opportunities for firms through political consumerism, public procurement, and lobbying.
My dissertation examines how environmental politics shapes firm incentives. As concerns about mitigating climate change and preserving the environment have intensified, a growing number of actors use their political power to constrain firm behavior. In my dissertation, I examine which actors seek to impose stricter environmental standards on firms, what strategies they use, and how effective the strategies are at altering firm behavior: I examine constraints on firms imposed by consumers – through “buycotts” and boycotts – to better understand which consumers undertake costly actions to constrain firms and why; how environmental credentials affect government subsides; and how multinationals contribute to environmental standard diffusion.
I also maintain a strong interest in international trade policy: In my work on the political effects of trade adjustment, I examine how exposure to large trade shocks increases political polarization in recently democratized states, and how that polarization has contributed to recent episodes of democratic backsliding.
I have used a broad range of quantitative research methods in my research, including various big data methods, quasi-experimental designs, and lab- and lab-in-the-field experiments.
Before joining Duke, I studied Economics and Political Science at New York University Abu Dhabi, with semesters abroad in Shanghai and Washington, D.C. In my capstone thesis, I examined how China’s WTO accession affected vote choices and labor markets in Western Europe. I grew up in Western Norway and finished high school at UWC Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina.