MS IRP Final Thesis
The Master’s thesis is produced during the final year of graduate study, and is a culmination of IRP graduate work. It allows students to apply their learned quantitative and qualitative methodological skillset to a practical, field-relevant problem of their choice. Examples of students’ current and past Master’s thesis topics are listed below.
2022 Graduates
| Student name | Thesis topic |
| Ruilin Chen |
The role of non-state actor IMF in corruption and bureaucratic quality in developing nations |
| Jordyn Gilliard |
Understanding the impact presidential rhetoric has on coalition building |
| Austin Goetz |
A Supreme Motivation: The Drivers of Senate Confirmation Vote Behavior from Bork to Jackson |
| Jeffrey Ko | Private Military Organizations, Resource Concessions, and Conflict Termination |
| James Summers |
The Drivers of Public Support for Military Withdrawal |
| Sujay Utkarsh | Politics and Climate Change: Understanding the Factors and Conditions That Lead to the Adoption of Corrective Climate Policies |
| Eoin Wilson-Manion |
Airstrike Effects and Civilian Attitudes in Yemen |
| Millie Zhang |
The Power of Positive Visual Narratives on Public Perceptions of Terrorism |
| Xiong "Cathy" Zhu |
Do BITs Cause Opposition Between Investor Right and Environmental Protection? |
2021 Graduates
| Student name | Thesis Topic | Thesis Advisor |
| Gabriella Bettino |
Treaties and Conflict: Lessons for the Military Application of Cyberspace |
Madison Schramm |
| Alexander Oh |
The Effect of Internet Regulation on Political Radicalization: A Case Study of Five Democratic Countries |
Daniel Silverman |
| Peter Rezk |
Reducing Police Discrimination: Lessons from International Departments |
Ignacio Arana |
Spring 2020 Graduates
| Student name | Thesis Topic | Thesis Advisor |
| Jure Erlic | Shuffling or Eliminating: The OECD Anti-bribery Convention's impact on global financial corruption | Daniel Hansen |
|
Aysar Gharaibeh |
Misinformation & Truth Distortion | Colin Clarke |
| Micah Rabin | Voter Suppression Rhetoric and Voter Turnout in United States’ Election Cycles | Dan Silverman |
| Kimberly Huang | Public-Elite Decision Making Gap on Drones in the US |
Dani Nedal |
| Antonio Freiria | Truman to Trump: Analyzing Foreign Policy Campaign Promises |
Ignacio Arana |
Spring 2019 Graduates
| Student Name | Thesis Topic | Thesis Advisor |
| Ian Asenjo | Reflections of Resistance: A Generational Comparison of the Sikh Diaspora | Dan Silverman |
| Kellen Carleton | Private Sector Compliance with Federal Cybersecurity Requirements | Molly Dunigan |
| Michael Gormley | Originalism: A Critical Analysis | Geoff McGovern |
| Raaga Kalva | Diversionary War by Tweet? An Analysis of Domestic Pressure and Foreign Policy Belligerence in the Trump Era | Dan Silverman |
| Jacqueline Puschmann | Like Father, Unlike Son: The Effects of Political Dynasties on Governance | Ignacio Arana |
| Colin Tait | The Transnational Diffusion of Peace | Ignacio Arana |
Spring 2018 Graduates
| Student Name | Thesis Topic | Thesis Advisor |
| Borge Feliz | Consequences of State Support for Non- State Armed Groups (NAGs) in Strategic Rivalries | Molly Dunigan |
| Alex Lin | Russia, Cyberspace, and Organized Crime | Colin Clarke |
| Alexandra Pasch | U.S. Secret Courts: A Primer on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Courts | Geoff McGovern |
| Rahmon Ross | Effects of Institutional Change on the Prevention of Terrorist Attacks following large scale terror events | Colin Clarke |
| Susanna Seltzer | Liberty and Safety: A Quantitative Analysis of Civil Liberties and Terror in the West | Gio Altamirano Rayo |
| Rob Stephens | A Loose Pack: Profiles of Lone Wolf Terrorists in the U.S. |
Daniel Silverman |