The field of Foreign Policy Analysis defines my research agenda. I study the interactions between domestic political institutions, political behavior, leadership, and international outcomes. Specifically, I investigate (a) how domestic political institutions influence foreign policy decision-making processes and behavior, (b) the impact of foreign policy on public opinion and vote choice, and (c) how leaders affect these relationships.
My current project, in collaboration with Paul Poast (University of Chicago), Dina Smeltz, and Craig Kafura (Chicago Council on Global Affairs), investigates the alliance attitudes of US foreign policy elites using survey experiments. Our results and analysis have been published by the Chicago Council and War On The Rocks.
Recent refereed journal articles and book chapters:
“It Takes a Village: Harnessing Institutional and Professional Resources to Preempt and Prepare for the Future,” in Andrew Szarejko (eds.) Pandemic Pedagogy Teaching International Relations Amid COVID-19. (2021). Palgrave Macmillan.
"US in a Turbulent World: US Intervention into the Syrian Civil War," in Ralph Carter and James Scott (eds.) Contemporary Cases in U.S. Foreign Policy, 6th edition. (2021). Rowman and Littlefield.
"Why This Book?" in Jeroen Joly and Tim Haesebrouck, eds. Foreign Policy Change in Europe Since 1991. (2021). Palgrave-Macmillan.
“Turkey’s Phantom Coalition: The AKP-MHP Partnership and Turkish Foreign Policy.” (2020) APSA-MENA Newsletter, 3(1): 16-19.
"Taking Production Relations Seriously: The Role of Defence Firms in Armaments Cooperation." (2018) European Security. (with Caglar Kurc)
"Chamber of Opportunities: Legislative Politics and Coalition Security Policy." (2018) British Journal of Politics and International Relations.
"Clarity of Responsibility and Foreign Policy Performance Voting." (2017) European Journal of Political Research.
"Coalition Politics and Foreign Policy." (2018) In Cameron Thies (ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press. pp. 156-167.
"Quantitative Approaches in Coalition Foreign Policy: Scope, Content, Process." (2017) European Political Science 16(4): 475-488.
"Constraining or Enabling? The Effects of Government Composition on International Commitments." (2014) Journal of European Public Policy 21 (6): 860-884.
Works in progress:
”More than Words? Experimental Evidence on How US Foreign Policy Elites Think About Alliances” (with Paul Poast, Dina Smeltz, and Craig Kafura)
"The Effect of Prime Ministers on Coalition Foreign Policy Behavior"
"Dealing with Coalition Governments in Foreign Policy: A Strategic Diplomacy Approach" (with Ryan Beasley)
“Turkish Involvement in the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Role Theory Analysis” (with Baris Kesgin)
"Political Leadership and International Response to COVID-19” (with Amanda Young, UIS undergraduate student)
ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sibel_Oktay