Research

At the core of my research is the question of how labor-saving technological change shapes, and becomes shaped by, domestic and international politics. While there is growing interest in the discipline about the possible consequences of automation, the process by which automation enters the political economy is often considered, at least implicitly, to be apolitical. My research demonstrates that the adoption of labor-saving technology is in fact politically contested, and can be understood in reference to other politically contested labor market disruptions such as globalization. A more thorough understanding of this process provides insights into the political impacts of automation, and has implications for central questions in international political economy scholarship around preference and coalition formation. My research also highlights the role of labor unions in responses to automation and to broader debates in political economy. To study these issues, my research is heavily informed by historical analyses using archival evidence, and the text analysis of digitized historical and political documents.