Damian Boldt

I am a graduate student in the Political Science Department at Florida State University. Broadly speaking, my research examines questions related to the causes and consequences of conflict. In my dissertation research, I study the interplay between local political violence and international relations. In one set of projects, I study public denials in response to international criticism of human rights abuses affect public opinion both within countries subject to international criticism and in third-party countries. In another project, I examine how the legacy of slavery in the U.S. South shapes modern-day attitudes towards international security cooperation. 

In other projects, I examine conflict between countries. In one project, I examine the effects of democratic transitions on international conflict. In co-authored work with Mark Souva, we re-examine theoretical arguments and empirical evidence linking past actions to the onset of future conflict. In co-authored work with Casey Frock, we examine the effect of regime type transitions on support for alliance commitments. 

I also address methodological questions that intersect with my substantive research interests.  In one project, I develop a methodological framework for developing theoretical counterfactuals of interest when working with a time-series cross-section data generating process, and implementing those counterfactuals with estimators. In a co-authored project with Carlisle Rainey and Winston Lin, we explore the practical trade-offs of regression-based adjustment when analyzing data from survey experiments.