Miles Williams
@mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social
Denison U prof teaching #Rstats for data visualization and statistical modeling, researching int’l aid and conflict: https://milesdwilliams15.github.io/
https://mileswilliams.substack.com/
https://mileswilliams.substack.com/
The world isn’t perfect, but in my latest Substack post I show that most people who participated in wave 7 of the World Values Survey (people from 60 countries between 2017-2021) are on net satisfied with their lives and say they’re better off than their parents.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Global Thankfulness
Data on life satisfaction across the world
open.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM
The world isn’t perfect, but in my latest Substack post I show that most people who participated in wave 7 of the World Values Survey (people from 60 countries between 2017-2021) are on net satisfied with their lives and say they’re better off than their parents.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
As an academic and researcher, I’ve offered some takes on student AI use. This week’s Substack post is something different: a self reflection on my personal reluctance to make AI a bigger part of my writing and coding.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Why I Rarely Use AI
One IR scholar's take on AI for writing and research
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM
As an academic and researcher, I’ve offered some takes on student AI use. This week’s Substack post is something different: a self reflection on my personal reluctance to make AI a bigger part of my writing and coding.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Pulling this out of the Substack archives for a belated Veterans Day post. A statistically grounded reminder to not take peace for granted.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Has the Long Peace Been A Fluke All Along?
A sobering reminder that luck, more than anything, may explain the lack of systemic war since WWII
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Pulling this out of the Substack archives for a belated Veterans Day post. A statistically grounded reminder to not take peace for granted.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Is the U.S. gambling with war in South America? I try to quantify the risk in my latest Substack post using the Militarized Interstate Events Dataset. #data #war
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Rolling the "Iron Dice" with Venezuela
Quantifying the risk of war in South America
open.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Is the U.S. gambling with war in South America? I try to quantify the risk in my latest Substack post using the Militarized Interstate Events Dataset. #data #war
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
In my latest Substack post I ask whether war is more likely today than in the past. The answer looks different depending on how you slice the data (shocker!).
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Is War Becoming More Likely?
The answer depends on how you slice the data.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
In my latest Substack post I ask whether war is more likely today than in the past. The answer looks different depending on how you slice the data (shocker!).
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
China has become a pretty important foreign lender and aid donor. Do recipients of its aid and loans take notice? I answer that question in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Attention Aid
China gives lots of foreign aid to developing countries. Do they notice?
open.substack.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:07 PM
China has become a pretty important foreign lender and aid donor. Do recipients of its aid and loans take notice? I answer that question in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Why do certain countries dominate in Nobel prizes? I have a data-driven answer in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Who Gets More Nobel Prizes and Why?
What factors explain why some countries get more Nobel laureates than others?
open.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Why do certain countries dominate in Nobel prizes? I have a data-driven answer in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
My dept head (Paul Djupe) and I published an article about our unique undergrad program called Data for Political Research, and why more schools should adopt a datacentric poli sci track that emphasizes applied research. I wrote about it in my latest newsletter:
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
More Data for Political Research
The promise of a more data-centric poli sci curriculum
open.substack.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:37 AM
My dept head (Paul Djupe) and I published an article about our unique undergrad program called Data for Political Research, and why more schools should adopt a datacentric poli sci track that emphasizes applied research. I wrote about it in my latest newsletter:
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Who gets a state and why? I look at the case of Taiwan in my latest Substack post to answer this question.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Who gets a state and why?
And who doesn't?
open.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Who gets a state and why? I look at the case of Taiwan in my latest Substack post to answer this question.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Reposted by Miles Williams
Now online ft. @pauldjupe.bsky.social @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social
A quantitative-forward approach to political science is popular & one that many believe would provide value for students. Djupe and Williams describe such a program that front-loads research methods.
doi.org/10.1017/S104...
#polisky
A quantitative-forward approach to political science is popular & one that many believe would provide value for students. Djupe and Williams describe such a program that front-loads research methods.
doi.org/10.1017/S104...
#polisky
September 30, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Now online ft. @pauldjupe.bsky.social @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social
A quantitative-forward approach to political science is popular & one that many believe would provide value for students. Djupe and Williams describe such a program that front-loads research methods.
doi.org/10.1017/S104...
#polisky
A quantitative-forward approach to political science is popular & one that many believe would provide value for students. Djupe and Williams describe such a program that front-loads research methods.
doi.org/10.1017/S104...
#polisky
Reposted by Miles Williams
Excited for this to be out at PS -- discussion of our DPR program at @denisonuniversity.bsky.social that frontloads quant methods. @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social and I also present survey evidence that the idea is popular among political scientists.
#OpenAccess from @pspolisci.bsky.social -
An Undergraduate Degree in ‘Data for Political Research’: High in Demand and Student Value but Low in Supply - https://cup.org/46ZqTwK
- @pauldjupe.bsky.social & Miles D. Williams
#FirstView
An Undergraduate Degree in ‘Data for Political Research’: High in Demand and Student Value but Low in Supply - https://cup.org/46ZqTwK
- @pauldjupe.bsky.social & Miles D. Williams
#FirstView
September 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Excited for this to be out at PS -- discussion of our DPR program at @denisonuniversity.bsky.social that frontloads quant methods. @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social and I also present survey evidence that the idea is popular among political scientists.
What’s going on with political violence in America and abroad? I offer some data-driven takes in my latest weekly post on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Political Violence in America and Abroad
Are we entering an era of extreme political violence?
open.substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
What’s going on with political violence in America and abroad? I offer some data-driven takes in my latest weekly post on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
How’s Russia’s economy doing since invading Ukraine? In my latest Substack post I take a look at several macroeconomic indicators to find an answer. The verdict: it’s doing better than I thought.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
How's Russia Doing?
Kind of okay, actually
open.substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 11:46 AM
How’s Russia’s economy doing since invading Ukraine? In my latest Substack post I take a look at several macroeconomic indicators to find an answer. The verdict: it’s doing better than I thought.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
For any #rstats users out there who do country-level and country dyad-level analyses of foreign #aid, I have a new R package for you called {odadata}. Check it out: github.com/milesdwillia...
GitHub - milesdwilliams15/odadata: An R package for adding dyadic and country-level ODA data to {peacesciencer} constructed datasets.
An R package for adding dyadic and country-level ODA data to {peacesciencer} constructed datasets. - milesdwilliams15/odadata
github.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:06 AM
For any #rstats users out there who do country-level and country dyad-level analyses of foreign #aid, I have a new R package for you called {odadata}. Check it out: github.com/milesdwillia...
What’s up with the US strike on a Venezuelan boat last week? In my latest Substack post I attempt to see how it fits with bigger patterns in U.S. foreign policy and global trends. Have a read (or listen):
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Venezuela, Drugs, and Cartels. Oh My!
Making sense of America's escalation against so-called "narco-terrorists"
open.substack.com
September 10, 2025 at 11:55 AM
What’s up with the US strike on a Venezuelan boat last week? In my latest Substack post I attempt to see how it fits with bigger patterns in U.S. foreign policy and global trends. Have a read (or listen):
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Is it a bad idea to chip away at (or take a sledgehammer to) the independence of the Fed? The data doesn’t lie — it’s a bad idea. This is the topic of my latest Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Fed up with Independence
Yes, a less independent Federal Reserve would be bad
open.substack.com
September 3, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Is it a bad idea to chip away at (or take a sledgehammer to) the independence of the Fed? The data doesn’t lie — it’s a bad idea. This is the topic of my latest Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Do personalist regimes incur an economic penalty? Some new research says “yes” but in my weekly newsletter I muddy the waters a bit.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Nothing Personal about Personalist Regimes
A recent study suggests that personalist forms of rule harm economic growth. Is that true, and should we be worried about the Trump Administration's personalist trajectory?
open.substack.com
August 27, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Do personalist regimes incur an economic penalty? Some new research says “yes” but in my weekly newsletter I muddy the waters a bit.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
In my latest Substack post, I offer a synopsis and rationale for how I plan to handle AI in my classes on data visualization and international relations. #AI #IR #data
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
AI, Data, and International Relations in the Classroom
How I'm handling AI in my undergraduate courses
open.substack.com
August 22, 2025 at 11:38 AM
In my latest Substack post, I offer a synopsis and rationale for how I plan to handle AI in my classes on data visualization and international relations. #AI #IR #data
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
In my latest Substack post, I was inspired by the Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin to look at the past 80-ish years of conflict mediation by the U.S. to see if any patterns stick out. Two issues in particular caught my eye: ceasefires and territory exchange.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
About that Alaska Meeting...
The current US administration's approach to mediation in the Russia-Ukraine War is an outlier compared to America's approach since World War II
open.substack.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:25 PM
In my latest Substack post, I was inspired by the Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin to look at the past 80-ish years of conflict mediation by the U.S. to see if any patterns stick out. Two issues in particular caught my eye: ceasefires and territory exchange.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Can you predict armed conflicts using Google Trends? I tackle this question in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Predicting Armed Conflict with Google?
A cool idea, but lackluster based on the data
open.substack.com
August 13, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Can you predict armed conflicts using Google Trends? I tackle this question in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Do American troops abroad give the U.S. an edge over China in terms of soft power? The answer might surprise you. It surprised me. Check out my latest Substack post to learn more.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
U.S. Hard Power Begets...Chinese Soft Power?
How can that be?
open.substack.com
August 8, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Do American troops abroad give the U.S. an edge over China in terms of soft power? The answer might surprise you. It surprised me. Check out my latest Substack post to learn more.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
In my latest Substack post, I look at compelling evidence that contact with US troops abroad generates goodwill toward America in host countries. Keeping troops stationed abroad is about more than hard power — it’s about soft power, too.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Does Hard Power Beget Soft Power? Pt. 2
Yes, yes it does.
open.substack.com
August 6, 2025 at 12:17 PM
In my latest Substack post, I look at compelling evidence that contact with US troops abroad generates goodwill toward America in host countries. Keeping troops stationed abroad is about more than hard power — it’s about soft power, too.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Are US troops abroad good or bad for America’s image? I start tackling that question in this first of a series of posts on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Does Hard Power Beget Soft Power?
A look at survey data on assessments of U.S. troop presence
open.substack.com
August 1, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Are US troops abroad good or bad for America’s image? I start tackling that question in this first of a series of posts on Substack.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
Can foreign direct investment substitute for foreign aid? I offer my take in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
The Good and Bad News about FDI
Can private foreign investors fill the gap left by foreign aid cuts?
open.substack.com
July 30, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Can foreign direct investment substitute for foreign aid? I offer my take in my latest Substack post.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
In my latest Substack post, I show why America’s tariff ultimatum on Russia is as toothless as a newborn baby.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
About That Tariff Ultimatum
Newborn babies have sharper teeth
open.substack.com
July 25, 2025 at 11:48 AM
In my latest Substack post, I show why America’s tariff ultimatum on Russia is as toothless as a newborn baby.
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...
open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...