DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Program Area(s):  Methods; Experimental Methods; International Relations

Regional Specialization(s):  United States

Dissertation Title:

Falling Behind: How Americans’ Anxiety over Status Affects U.S. Foreign Policy

Dissertation Committee:  Stephen C. Nelson (Chair); Daniel Krcmaric; James Druckman; William Wohlforth

Research Interests: American foreign policy; public opinion; status, prestige, and reputation in international politics; trust in science; survey and experimental methods

Jonathan is interested in U.S. foreign policy and the role of public opinion and social mobilization (in the US and abroad) in affecting foreign policy outcomes. His dissertation examines how concerns over national status and prestige affect public opinion and foreign policy outcomes. His research also examines the important rule of trust in scientists and researchers in driving key outcomes related to public health, political violence, and the legitimacy of elections.

Publications:

• “Severe Depressive Symptoms Exacerbate the Relationship Between Conspiracy Beliefs and Voting for Election Doubters” with Matthew Baum, James Druckman, and Katya Ognyanova (under review). Working paper: https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/our-work/working-papers/2023/wp-23-22.html
• “Who likes Donald Trump? Lots of Republicans, but especially Hispanic voters, plus very rural and very conservative people.” With Matthew Baum. The Conversation, August 11, 2023. https://theconversation.com/who-likes-donald-trump-lots-of-republicans-but-especially-hispanic-voters-plus-very-rural-and-very-conservative-people-211166
• “Abortion Is Not Influencing Most Voters as the Midterms Approach – Economic Issues Are Predominating in New Survey.” With Matthew Baum, Alauna Safarpour, and Kristin Lunz Trujillo. The Conversation, November 1, 2022. https://theconversation.com/abortion-is-not-influencing-most-voters-as-the-midterms-approach-economic-issues-are-predominating-in-new-survey-191836
• “Young Republicans Split from Trump and GOP Elders on US Foreign Policy: 3 Charts.” The Conversation, February, 12, 2021. https://theconversation.com/young-republicans-split-from-trump-and-gop-elders-on-us-foreign-policy-3-charts-154234
• “Americans’ Support for Trade and Intervention Abroad Depends on Which Country Is Involved.” LSE United States Politics and Policy, September 7, 2020. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/09/07/americans-support-for-trade-and-intervention-abroad-depends-on-which-country-is-involved/
• Review of Diana C. Mutz’s Winners and Losers: The Psychology of Foreign Trade, International Affairs 98, no. 4. July 5, 2022: 1465–66. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiac125
• "Review of Desch, Michael C., Cult of the Irrelevant: The Waning Influence of Social Science on National Security." H-Diplo, H-Net Reviews. August, 2019. https://networks.h-net.org/node/28443/reviews/4433817/schulman-desch-cult-irrelevant-waning-influence-social-science

Conference Presentations:

• “Who Cares About Decline? Exploring Americans' Attitudes on Decline, Status, and National Identity.” International Studies Association, April 2024.
• “Status Anxiety, Rhetorical Entrapment, and U.S. Foreign Policy.” Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, November 2023.
• “Status Anxiety and the Making of Foreign Policy.” American Political Science Association, August 2023.
• “International Rivalry, Domestic Spending: How Anxiety over Decline Affects Public Opinion.” Midwest Political Science Association, April 2023.
• “Theorizing Status Anxiety in U.S. Foreign Policy.” International Studies Association, March 2023.
• “Public Opinion in an Era of Great Power Decline.” Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research, November 2022.
• "Needing to Be the Best: How Worries Over World Position Drive State Interest.", International Studies Association, April 2022
• "Fear of Falling Behind: How Global Status Concerns Affect Support for Domestic Policies.", International Studies Association, March 2022
• "The Self, the Nation, and Geopolitical Status: An Analysis of Americans’ Trade Preferences.", International Studies Association, April 2021
• "Second-World Competition in Vietnam: Analyzing the Implications of the Vietnam War on Sino-Soviet Relations.", The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, May 2018

Honors & Awards:

• Winner of the Doris Graber Award for best graduate student paper in the category of public opinion and theory at the 2023 Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research annual conference
• Awarded research grants from the American Political Science Association, the Charles Koch Foundation, and Northwestern University
• American Political Science Association Summer Centennial Center Research Grant, 2022
• Minar Memorial Summer Award, 2022