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Miles Williams

@mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social

210 followers 610 following 160 posts

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/

milesdwilliams15.github.io

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Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · 4h

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...

More Data for Political Research

The promise of a more data-centric poli sci curriculum

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · 6d

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...

Who gets a state and why?

And who doesn't?

open.substack.com

Reposted by Miles Williams

PS: Political Science & Politics @pspolisci.bsky.social · 7d

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

Reposted by Miles Williams

Paul Djupe @pauldjupe.bsky.social · 9d

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.

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 9d

#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

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · 14d

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...

Political Violence in America and Abroad

Are we entering an era of extreme political violence?

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · 21d

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...

How's Russia Doing?

Kind of okay, actually

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · 22d

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

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · 28d

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...

Venezuela, Drugs, and Cartels. Oh My!

Making sense of America's escalation against so-called "narco-terrorists"

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Sep 3

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...

Fed up with Independence

Yes, a less independent Federal Reserve would be bad

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 27

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...

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

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 22

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...

AI, Data, and International Relations in the Classroom

How I'm handling AI in my undergraduate courses

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 20

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...

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

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 13

Can you predict armed conflicts using Google Trends? I tackle this question in my latest Substack post.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

Predicting Armed Conflict with Google?

A cool idea, but lackluster based on the data

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 8

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...

U.S. Hard Power Begets...Chinese Soft Power?

How can that be?

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 6

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...

Does Hard Power Beget Soft Power? Pt. 2

Yes, yes it does.

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Aug 1

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...

Does Hard Power Beget Soft Power?

A look at survey data on assessments of U.S. troop presence

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 30

Can foreign direct investment substitute for foreign aid? I offer my take in my latest Substack post.

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

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 25

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...

About That Tariff Ultimatum

Newborn babies have sharper teeth

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 23

In my latest on Substack, I ask who will win the AI arms race? The math is pretty simple.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

The simple math of who's winning the geopolitical race for AI dominance

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 18

In my latest post, I offer a nerdy, deep in the weeds take on a complicated and a less complicated way to measure dissatisfaction in international relations. Turns out the complicated way gives you nearly identical results to the less complicated one.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

Dissatisfaction in International Relations

A nerdy take on measuring this important concept

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 16

In my latest Substack post, I ask what factors predict greater numbers of non-peaceful protests breaking out in different countries.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

Can We Predict Non-Peaceful Protests?

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 11

In today’s Substack post, I offer a sobering meditation on the demise of USAID.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

The Real Tragedy of USAID

It's that no one really cares

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 9

In today’s Substack newsletter I use some trade data to think about the effectiveness of using tariffs to influence BRICS.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

A House Made of BRICS

A look at trade between the U.S. and BRICS members

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 4

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

A New Balance of Power in Europe

As Europe questions U.S. commitments to European security, which country will take the lead?

open.substack.com

Miles Williams @mdwilliamsphd.bsky.social · Jul 2

I recently read that a global debt crisis was brewing. I didn’t realize how clear the problem was until I looked at the data. Debt to GDP has reached levels not seen since the end of WWII. Read more in my latest Substack.

open.substack.com/pub/mileswil...

Is a Global Crisis Brewing?

And I don't mean war

open.substack.com