Photo taken by Mercatus Student Programs

My name is Emily VanMeter, and I am a 4th year graduate student in Political Science at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. I study International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Methodology. If you wish to learn more about what I'm working on at the moment, head to my Research page.

My dissertation explores the persistent effects of domestic trade and migration policies in developing England, Scotland, Ireland and France. I show how divergent interests regarding domestic open economy politics led to a political bargain with long-standing ramifications to the national economy. As an unintended consequence of these policies, I find that economic isolation and a continued lack of redistribution by the center has led to movements for greater autonomy in these regions. 

My greater research agenda revolves around forced and voluntary migration as well as migration policy-making, with some spin-off into autocratic policy-making, conflict, and the political economy of development. If any of the topics below (or an intersection between them) interest you, feel free to send me an email! I love talking about my research, collaboration, and learning new things.

Research interests: comparative political economy, migration policy, state formation, economic history, identity politics, civil conflict, non-democratic regimes. 

Prior to my graduate studies, I earned a B.A. in Political Science and a B.A. in French from the University of Kentucky. Go Cats!