In episode 2 of Chalkboard Politics, the team continues the conversation from our last episode about how political science professors conduct research. Moving beyond the American politics and political theory subfields, this episode focuses on international relations and comparative politics. In conversations with professors from these subfields, the podcast considers how the evolving political landscape demands flexibility and dynamic thinking from political science scholars.
In the first interview, the team sat down with Professor Thomas Christensen, the James T. Shotwell Professor of International Relations at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and the Director of the China and the World Program at Columbia. He is an expert on China, East Asian relations, and international security. In his interview, he discusses how China’s strengthening authoritarianism, Xi Jinping’s succession challenges, and the US commitment to Taiwan. He also discusses how China’s increasing government oversight has impacted his approach to researching the country.
The team then shifts to Russia in their conversation with Professor Timothy Frye. Professor Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy. His research focuses on comparative politics and political economy, with a regional specialization in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. In his interview, he outlines his journey of studying the Soviet Union as it transitioned to Russia. He further discusses how Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and sanctions have led scholars of Russia to rely on indirect research methods that measure variables such as marriage rates and banking activity.
In both interviews, the team investigates how scholars researching foreign governments from abroad must consider different factors than those studying their own countries. They demonstrate how professors and students across subfields must use dynamic approaches to studying ever-changing global and domestic politics.
Episode Themes:
Researching countries with increasing government oversight:
Professor Christensen highlights how the Chinese government’s oversight is more extensive and powerful than it was 20 years ago. As a result, the research materials have become more limited, and interlocutors inside the country are less willing to engage in dialogue with him. When individuals are willing to talk, he emphasizes the importance of being cautious when quoting your sources and protecting their identities. Professor Frye also shared how being banned from Russia after publishing his book shifted his perspective on research. Key words: academic freedom, authoritarian regimes, government oversight.
Considering other factors connected to available data:
Professor Frye discussed how studying Russia during wartime limits available data on factors he may have previously considered. For this reason, he and other Russia scholars have considered new variables that can be measured through available data. He discussed marriage rates as an example of a new factor scholars outside Russia are considering to understand mobilization during the war. Key words: mobilization, wartime, sanctions, marriage rates.
The role of personal anecdotes in political science research:
Professor Frye highlights how research can also draw on experiences with people a scholar might encounter while working in the field. In his interview, he discussed how personal anecdotes can help scholars understand how Russians understand government propaganda and their broader views of Russian politics. In this case, personal anecdotes can help debunk simplistic assumptions about Russians and their attitudes towards their government. Key words: personal anecdotes, propaganda.
Indirect research methods:
Both Professor Christensen and Professor Frye have included indirect research methods in their studies of China and Russia. Professor Christiansen discusses how, rather than relying solely on Chinese interlocutors in the US and China, he has also expanded his network to influential Chinese individuals in other countries. In our discussion with Professor Frye, he shares how he has had to rely on public opinion surveys and digital data. Key words: public opinion, digital data, wartime, sanctions.
Suggested Readings and Videos for Professor Thomas Christensen:
Christensen, Thomas J. (2026). “Will China Overplay Its Hand? How Beijing’s Confidence Could Shake Up the Trump-Xi Summit.” Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/will-china-overplay-its-hand
Lin, Bonny, Brian Hart, Thomas J. Christensen, John Culver, Jonathan A. Czin, Suyash Desai, M. Taylor Fravel, Allie Matthias, and Joel Wuthnow. (2026). “Assessing Xi’s Unprecedented Purges of China’s Military: Key Developments and Potential Implications.” Center for Strategic and International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/assessing-xis-unprecedented-purges-chinas-military-key-developments-and-potential
Christensen, Thomas J. (2026). “Not Just an Island: Why Geography Should Not Drive U.S. Taiwan Policy.” Center for Strategic and International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/not-just-island-why-geography-should-not-drive-us-taiwan-policy
Notre Dame Keough School of Global Affairs. (2025). Dean's Forum: Thomas Christensen on U.S.-China Rivalry and East Asia’s Future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b0NQ3_1q5M
Suggested Readings for Professor Frye:
Frye, T. (2021). Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin’s Russia. Princeton University Press.
Frye, T., & Shleifer, A. (1996). “The Invisible Hand and the Grabbing Hand” (NBER Working Paper No. 5856). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w5856
Frye, T., Reuter, O. J., & Szakonyi, D. (2014). “Political Machines at Work: Voter Mobilization and Electoral Subversion in the Workplace.” World Politics 66(2), 195–228. https://doi.org/10.1017/S004388711400001X
Horbyk, R. (2026). “Dark Legitimacy: What Russia and Ukraine Reveal about Authoritarianism.” Communication and Democracy 60(1), 160–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/27671127.2026.2641731
Hosen, I., & Jasmin, I. A. (2026). “The Rise of Authoritarian Alliances and Shifting Global Power Dynamics During the Russia-Ukraine War.” New Perspectives. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/2336825X261477935
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