Colm Fox
Office — DHH 609 21st St., Room 202
Office Hours — Monday 9:30-11:00; Wednesday 12:30-2:00
E-mail — colm@gwmail.gwu.edu
Areas of Expertise —
Democracy, Electoral Campaigns, Voting Behavior, Identity, Conflict, and Southeast Asian Politics
Major — Comparative Politics
Minor — International Relations
Current Research
Dissertation Title: Appealing to the Masses: Institutions, Identity, and Electoral Competition in Southeast Asia
Committee: Henry Hale (chair), Susan Sell, Nathan Brown, William Liddle (The Ohio State University)
My dissertation investigates how, and why, politicians in emerging democracies mobilize identity groups (ethnic, religious, class etc.) during elections. During two years of field research in Indonesia and Thailand I conducted more than 100 interviews and built a unique database of over 30,000 campaign posters, thousands of local newspaper articles, and background data on candidates from across both countries. Findings show how the politicization of identity groups is dramatically affected by the electoral rules, social structure, and level of political competition. For more on my dissertation research visit my website www.colmfox.com.
Education
B.A. in Communications, Dublin City University, Ireland
Masters in Pacific & International Affairs, UCSD
Background