U.S. democracy has weakened during the 21st century, raising questions about whether this process risks eroding its foreign image, which centers on its longstanding democratic government. Scholars predict that democratic backsliding reduces favorable views of the U.S. among foreign citizens. They also claim that it undercuts the U.S.’s ability to win foreign policy cooperation from international partners. We assess these views based on a three-wave, multinational survey experiment fielded in twelve countries with 12,611 respondents. The results show democratic backsliding significantly decreases respondents’ favorability toward the U.S. However, there is little evidence that democratic backsliding decreases support for cooperating with the U.S. These findings suggest that while America’s image may suffer, its ability to garner support for critical policies remains resilient in some regions.

This event is part of our Contemporary Asia Seminar Series. This series hosts professionals in the fields of public and foreign policy, journalism, and academia who share their perspectives on pressing issues facing Asia today.

Speaker: 

Yusaku Horiuchi is a Professor of Government and Mitsui Professor of Japanese Studies at Dartmouth College. His research utilizes experimental designs and statistical methods to address diverse empirical questions in political science, particularly focusing on foreign/global public opinion, Japanese Politics, diversity, elections, and political methodology. He has published widely in top journals, including American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Political Analysis, and Science Advances, and authored two books. His research draws on data from Japan and other countries such as Australia, Israel, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States. At Dartmouth, He teaches courses on Quantitative Political Analysis, Data Visualization with R, and the Politics of Japan. He holds an M.A. in international and development economics from Yale University and a Ph.D. in political science from MIT. He has also held visiting appointments at Keio University, ANU, and MIT.

Much of the scholarship about Park Chung Hee and South Korea's developmental state has focused on economic modernization. This talk complements that literature by highlighting the long-lasting legacies of authoritarianism for the political and social development of South Korean society. The talk first covers the consequences of dictatorship for the evolution of civil society. We then shift to the historical origins of the demographic crisis South Korea is facing today. The central purpose of the talk is to show how both civil society and family change were shaped profoundly by authoritarian policies during the Park Chung Hee era.

Paul Chang is Senior Fellow at Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies; and Tong Yang, Korea Foundation, and Korea Stanford Alumni Association Senior Fellow at Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. Before joining Stanford, Chang was an associate professor of sociology at Harvard University. 

A sociologist by training, Chang’s research on South Korean society has appeared in flagship disciplinary and area studies journals. He is the author of Protest Dialectics: State Repression and South Korea’s Democracy Movement, 1970-1979 (Stanford University Press) and co-editor of South Korean Social Movements: From Democracy to Civil Society (Routledge). His current work examines the diversification of family structures in South Korea.

Lunch to be provided for registered attendees. Registration closes Friday, October 4.

About the Event: The civilian role in managing the military has never been more important. Today, civilian leadership of defense policy is challenged by the blurring line between war and competition and the speed of machine decision-making on the battlefield. Moreover, the legitimacy of political leaders and civil servants has been undermined by a succession of foreign policy failures and by imbalances of public faith in the military on the one hand and disapproval of civilian institutions on the other. A central question emerges: What does appropriate and effective civilian control of the military look like?

In this book talk, Dr. Alice Friend will combine scholarly expertise with firsthand civilian experience in the Department of Defense to argue that civilians combine authoritative status, institutional functions, and political expertise to ensure that democratic preferences over the use of force prevail. Friend focuses on the ways political context shapes whether and how civilian controllers—the civilians in professional and institutional positions with the responsibility for defense matters—exercise control over the military and each other.

About the Speaker: Alice Friend is a foreign and tech policy expert, with experience in the U.S. federal government, NGOs, the UN system, and academia. She has a PhD in International Relations and was previously the vice president for research and analysis at the Institute for Security and Technology. Her other experience includes performing research at the International Labor Organization in Geneva, roles as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security in Washington DC, and adjunct professorships at Georgetown University and American University. She served in several positions in the U.S. Department of Defense across two presidential administrations and is the author of Mightier than the Sword: Civilian Control of the Military and the Revitalization of Democracy published by Stanford University Press. Alice has published articles in the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, Lawfare, and Just Security. Her work at Google focuses on national and international artificial intelligence policies and governance.

 All CISAC events are scheduled using the Pacific Time Zone.

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected Shigeru Ishiba as its new president on September 27 and he became the new Prime Minister of Japan soon thereafter. Having been an opposition within the LDP in recent years, Ishiba was a rather surprising choice and reflects the political turmoil within the LDP, which has been marred by various political scandals. Ishiba wasted no time in calling a Lower House election, which will take place on October 27 with much at stake, including LDP’s hold on power.

With nine candidates running for the LDP presidency, how did Ishiba emerge victorious? Given the razor-thin margin of his victory, what is his power base in the LDP with the traditional factions presumably dissolved? What would be his domestic policy priorities and key foreign policy agenda? Two leading experts in Japan will join us for this webinar to share their insights on how the new prime minister was able to prevail in the LDP presidential election and what he will bring to the table.

Speakers

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Harukata Takenaka is a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. He holds a PhD from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tokyo.

His key research areas are the role the prime minister in Japanese politics, changes in Japanese external policy, and democratization in Pre-war Japan.

Prof. Takenaka’s recent publications include: “Kyokoku Chugoku” to Taijisuru Indo-Taiheiyo Shokoku [Indo-Pacific Nations facing China aspiring to be a “Great Country”](edited) (Tokyo: Chikura Shobo, 2022), “Evolution of Japanese security policy and the House of Councilors,” Japanese Journal of Political Science, 22:2, (June 2021), 96-115, Korona Kiki no Seiji [Politics of Covid 19 Crisis](Tokyo: Chuo Koron Shinsha, 2020), “Expansion of the Japanese prime minister’s power in the Japanese parliamentary system: Transformation of Japanese politics and the institutional reforms,”Asian Survey,59:5:844-869 (September 2019); Futatsu no Seiken Kotai [Two Changes of Government] (edited) (Tokyo: Keiso Shobo, 2017); Failed Democratization in Prewar Japan (Stanford University Press 2014),

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Noriko Akiyama is a senior political writer at The Asahi Shimbun, the second largest newspaper company in Japan, with a 140 year history and a circulation of about 4 million.

Before assuming her current role, she served as an assistant political editor, political reporter, and reporter for AERA, a Japanese weekly magazine owned and published by Asahi Shimbun. She is the first female senior political writer and an assistant political editor in Asahi. In addition, Ms. Akiyama has authored eight books on women in non-profits, gender politics in Japan, female bureaucrats, civil society leaders, a guide to Japan’s political history, and a biography on Chiyo Obata,Japan’s first female professional wrestler.

In 2018, Ms. Akiyama received the Social Journalist Award from the Japan Association of New Public and in 2024, was selected as the International House Journalism Award Finalist. She is also an alumna of the Japan Women Leadership Initiative (2018), a Fish Family Foundation sponsored program for Japanese women; and the International Visitor Leadership Program (2016), the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program.

Ms. Akiyama holds a ph. D. in Social Science from University of Tsukuba, Master of Science in empires, colonialism and globalization from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA in sociology from the University of Tokyo.  

Moderator

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Kiyoteru Tsutsui is the Henri H. and Tomoye Takahashi Professor and Senior Fellow in Japanese Studies at Shorenstein APARC, the Director of the Japan Program and Deputy Director at APARC, a senior fellow of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and Professor of Sociology, all at Stanford University. Tsutsui received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kyoto University and earned an additional master’s degree and Ph.D. from Stanford’s sociology department in 2002. Tsutsui’s research interests lie in political/comparative sociology, social movements, globalization, human rights, and Japanese society. His most recent publication, Human Rights and the State: The Power of Ideas and the Realities of International Politics (Iwanami Shinsho, 2022), was awarded the 2022 Ishibashi Tanzan Award and the 44th Suntory Prize for Arts and Sciences.

If you are a Stanford faculty, student, or staff member, please email z3project@paloaltojcc.org for discounted admission. Stanford ID will be requested at the event. 

Speaker: Tzipi Livni, former Israeli Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Justice Minister.

A year after the October 7th attack, in the midst of deep domestic disagreements and an evolving multi-front war, Israel is at an historic crossroads. Where do we go from here?

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Tzipi Livni is a prominent Israeli stateswoman and former Vice Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Justice Minister. Widely regarded as one of Israel's most influential women since Golda Meir, Livni has been a key figure in national security, peace negotiations, and Israeli politics. Known for her steadfast leadership and advocacy for peace, she has worked tirelessly to uphold Israel's democratic values while safeguarding its security interests. Livni led centrist political parties and was Israel’s chief negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinians in 2008 and 2013.

Amichai Magen is a Visiting Professor in Political Science and Visiting Fellow in Israel Studies at Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. In Israel, he is a Senior Lecturer (US Associate Professor) and Head of the MA Program in Diplomacy & Conflict Studies at Reichman University, where he also directs the Program on Democratic Resilience and Development. His research focuses on democracy, the rule of law, and political violence.
 

Please contact z3project@paloaltojcc.org for any questions about this event.

About the TCP Speaker Series

The TCP Speaker Seriew is a monthly gathering that explores critical insights on the intersections and implications of technology and society. Convened by Angèle Christin, the Technology, Culture, and Power (TCP) Speaker Series is a thought-provoking forum on the Stanford campus featuring leading experts and scholars examining the interactions of digital technologies, culture, and inequality.

SCCEI Seminar Series (Fall 2024)

Friday, October 25, 2024 | 12:00 pm -1:20 pm Pacific Time
Goldman Room E409, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way

Small Yard, High Fence? The Impact of US-China Tensions on the Reallocation of International Students in US Higher Education

Authors: Keng-Chi Chang, Ruixue Jia, Steven Liao, Margaret E. Roberts

One of the most critical recent developments in the global economy is how U.S.-China tensions are reshaping cross-border economic integration. To date, however, our understanding of its impact has been mainly limited to international trade and finance, as opposed to migration. To fill this gap, we explore the effect of recent tensions on international student flows to the United States that are critical to U.S. higher education, knowledge production, and the broader economy. We construct a unique granular dataset that combines the universe of international students in the United States from 2000--2021 with specific information about their institution and novel measures of the sensitivity of students' study fields. Using a series of difference-in-differences and triple-differences designs, we find that tensions have not had a uniform effect on students across states, institutions and fields of study.  Instead, we show that tensions have shifted international students from China toward private institutions in blue states, and away from sensitive fields, particularly at the PhD level. The findings reveal new patterns of uneven international student decline in recent years and extend policy debates on technology security and export controls to cross-border human capital barriers.

Please register for the event to receive email updates and add it to your calendar. Lunch will be provided.

About the Speaker 
 

Margaret Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at the University of California, San Diego. Her research interests lie in the intersection of political methodology and the politics of information, with a specific focus on methods of automated content analysis and the politics of censorship in China. Much of her research uses social media, online experiments, and large collections of texts to understand the influence of censorship and propaganda on access to information and beliefs about politics.

She received a Ph.D. in government from Harvard University, and a M.S. in statistics and a B.A. in international relations and economics from Stanford University.

A NOTE ON LOCATION

Please join us in-person in the Goldman Conference Room located within Encina Hall on the 4th floor of the East wing.

Questions? Contact Xinmin Zhao at xinminzhao@stanford.edu
 

SCCEI Seminar Series (Fall 2024)

Friday, October 11, 2024 | 12:00 pm -1:20 pm Pacific Time
Goldman Room E409, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way

Longevity of Power: Does Rank Influence Lifespan among Chinese Political Elites?

This paper investigates the relationship between power and longevity among Chinese Communist Party elites. Using a unique dataset of 2,223 members of the Central Committee and Alternate Central Committee from 1921 to 2022, this study explores whether higher-ranking officials enjoy longer lifespans and are less likely to experience unnatural deaths. By relying on original data on the causes and years of death for these political figures, the analysis provides new insights into the survival advantages conferred by power within an autocratic regime. The findings have significant implications for understanding the dynamics of leadership stability and regime durability in authoritarian contexts.

Please register for the event to receive email updates and add it to your calendar. Lunch will be provided.

About the Speaker 
 

Professor Yuhua Wang is Professor of Government at Harvard University. He is the author of Tying the Autocrat’s Hands (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and The Rise and Fall of Imperial China (Princeton University Press, 2022). The Rise and Fall of Imperial China won the 2023 Lubbert Best Book Award in Comparative Politics from the American Political Science Association. His articles have appeared in American Political Science Review, Annual Review of Political Science, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, and China Quarterly. Yuhua received his B.A. from Peking University and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
 

A NOTE ON LOCATION

Please join us in-person in the Goldman Conference Room located within Encina Hall on the 4th floor of the East wing.

Questions? Contact Xinmin Zhao at xinminzhao@stanford.edu