About us

Welcome! This lab’s current research focuses on state violence and human rights violations. Our team members study repressive regimes and examine the ways in which states establish and uphold political control using different coercive institutions and tactics. We employ a range of methods in our research, including spatial and network analysis, causal inference, and experimental studies. The collaborative environment in the lab offers students opportunities for research and mentorship.

The lab’s funding has been provided by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange and College of Arts & Sciences at University of South Carolina.

Interests

  • State repression
  • Political violence
  • Authoritarian politics
  • Armed conflicts
  • Network analysis

Team

Principal Investigator

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Howard Liu

Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
University of South Carolina

Graduate students

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Deki Peldon

Graduate student
Department of Political Science
University of South Carolina

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Jieun Byeon

Graduate student
Department of Political Science
University of South Carolina

Alumni

Current Co-Investigators

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Ching-Hsuan Su

Assistant Professor
Department of Social Development
National Pintung University

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Yi-Ting Wang

Associate Professor
Department of Political Science
National Cheng Kung University

Publications