Diplomas/Degrees
Diplomas/Degrees
Ph.D. in Political Science, Claremont Graduate University (2016)
M.A. in Political Science, Pennsylvania State University (2008)
M.A. in International Studies, University of Chicago (2004)
M.A.R in Social Ethics, Yale University (2003)
B.A in Political Science, University of Winsconsin-Madison (2000)
Licenses and Certifications
Licenses and Certifications
IBM Data Science Practitioner – Instructor Certificate
Data Science and Design Thinking
Professional Experience
Professional Experience
Professional Training
Summer 2024
Bayesian Thinking in STEM, Vassar College, NY
Fall 2021
Competed for the search committee implicit bias training (facilitated by Anne Mungai) and an online review of the Affect Misattribution Procedure via the Project Implicit Social Attitudes (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/).
Summer 2021
Obtained an IBM data science practitioner—instructor certificate. Completed a synchronous 4-week online instructor-to-instructor course (Data Science and Design Thinking) at the Innovation Center, Adelphi University, NY.
Summer 2014
Attending the Empirical Implication of Theoretical Models (EITM) Summer Institute hosted by the University of Houston, Houston, TX.
Summer 2006
Taking courses on quantitative methods of social research, Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, Ann Arbor, MI.
Personal Statement
Personal Statement
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations (POLIR) at Adelphi University. My core teaching area is comparative politics and research methods, with regional expertise in East and Southeast Asian politics. My research investigates how economic forces shape regional politics and influence public policy preferences. Also, by applying insights from the well-established territorial unit data in European countries to Asian contexts, I explore how the spatial distribution of economic inequality impacts citizens’ policy preferences and voting behavior while utilizing various empirical models to analyze these dynamics.
Recent Courses
Recent Courses
S/T: Political Economy Of Inequality
Comparative Political Analysis
International Politics Of East And Southeast Asia
Research Design And Methods
Seminar In The Social Sciences International Politics Of East And Southeast Asia
Seminar In The Social Sciences Political Economy Of Inequality
Seminar In The Social Sciences Politics Of Developing Nations
The Politics Of Developing Nations
Courses Previously Taught
Courses Previously Taught
Comparative Politics
Political Economy of Inequality (UG)
Comparative Politial Institutions (G)
Government Designs Around the World (UG)
Politics of Developing Nations (UG)
Comparative Political Analysis (UG)
Comparative Political Systems (UG)
Research Methods
Quantitative Methods of Political Analysis (UG)
Scope and Methods of Political Science (UG)
Research Design and Methods (UG)
Data Training in Political Science (UG)
Computer Applications for Social Science Research (G)
International Relations
International Political Economy (UG)
International Politics (UG)
International Politics of East and Southeast Asia (UG)
*UG = Undergraduate Course, G = Graduate Course
Specialization/Interests
Specialization/Interests
My research areas are at the intersection of comparative politics, international relations, and research methods. My current research focuses on the question of how the spatial distribution of economic inequality affects political outcomes. I study this relationship from various empirical models.
Research Interests
Research Interests
The modifiable areal unit problem
Political geography of inequality
Voting behavior by economic geography
Measuring the geographic distribution of economic productivity
Effects of regional inequality on partisan politics
Spatial approach to the relationship between economic inequality and voting behavior
Redistributive politics in developing countries
Trade and welfare spending
Politics of higher education spending
Covid, public provision, and suburban poverty
Chapters
Chapters
José Alemán, Dong Wook Lee, & Dwayne Woods. 2023. “States of Emergency: In Whose Interest Are They Invoked?” In Segell, Glen. (Ed.), Globalization, Security, Development and Global Values – Essays in Honor of Arno Tausch. Switzerland: Springer, pp. 157-185
Articles
Articles
Lee, Dong Wook, Melissa Rogers, and Hillel Soifer. Forthcoming. “The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem in Political Science.” Political Analysis.
https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/L18QRY
Abstract
Building on the availability of geospatial data, improvements in mapping software, and innovations in spatial statistics, political scientists are increasingly taking geography seriously. As we adopt the tools of geographers, we must also consider the methodological challenges they have identified. We focus on the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP)—the idea that the size of aggregate spatial units and the location of their borders affect the empirical results we obtain. We first describe the logic of the MAUP, and then demonstrate the MAUP through simulations, showing MAUP-related inconsistency in regression results in randomly generated and real-world data. We identify MAUP concerns, and best practices, in top journals in political science. We conclude by suggesting how scholars may respond in theoretical and empirical terms to concerns about validity and reliability that arise from the MAUP. Replication files for Lee, Dong Wook, Melissa Rogers, and Hillel Soifer. The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem in Political Science. Forthcoming, Political Analysis.
Eunyoung Ha and Dong Wook Lee. 2022."Partisanship, Fiscal Transfers, and Social Spending in Korea: The Politics of Partial Decentralization." Forthcoming @ Journal of East Asian Studies. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/jea.2021.33
Abstract
In the last three decades, many Asian democracies have decentralized their political systems to promote the democratic, equal, and efficient distribution of national resources across regions. Nonetheless, most of these countries, including South Korea, are still in a stage of “partial fiscal decentralization,” in which locally elected officials have spending authority, while a significant portion of their financing relies on transfers from the central government. This paper argues that the decentralized distribution is significantly influenced by the partisan interests of central and local governments. The central government transfers more funds to local governments that their co-partisans govern, and local incumbents follow partisan policy priorities to obtain the allocation of available fiscal resources. This argument is strongly supported by the empirical analysis of subsidy transfers and regional social expenditures in South Korea from 2002-2015. First, we find that the central government in Korea transfers larger subsidies to politically aligned regions. Second, regional governments with larger subsidy transfers have higher levels of social expenditures. Third, governors or mayors affiliated with a progressive party spend significantly more on social welfare and education than do those affiliated with a conservative party.
Lee, Dong Wook and Melissa Rogers. 2019. “Measuring Geographic Distribution for Political Research.” Political Analysis. 27(3): 263-280. [View]
Abstract: Political scientists are increasingly interested in the geographic distribution of political and economic phenomena. Unlike distribution measures at the individual level, geographic distributions depend on the “unit question” in which researchers choose the appropriate political unit to analyze, such as nations, sub-national regions, urban and rural areas, or electoral districts. In this research, we identify concerns with measuring the geographic distribution and comparing distributions within and across political units. In particular, we highlight the potential for threats to inference based on the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) whereby measuring concepts at different unit aggregations alters the observed value. To help manage measurement error when the unit of observation is unclear, or the appropriate data is not available, we introduce a new measure of geographic distribution which accounts for fluctuations in the scale and number of political units considered. We demonstrate, using Monte Carlo simulations, that our measure is more stable across political units than commonly used measures and it reduces measurement fluctuations associated with MAUP.
Lee, Dong Wook, and Melissa Rogers, 2019. “Interregional Inequality and the Dynamics of Government Spending.” The Journal of Politics. 81(2): 487-504. [View]
Abstract:We examine the distribution of economic productivity across subnational regions as a factor explaining the level and allocation of central government expenditure. As regional productivity becomes more dispersed, the preferences influencing national decision making should diverge, thus impeding agreement to expand the central state. However, if regional productivity becomes more right-skewed, an increasing number of less productive regions may be able to press for greater central outlays. Dispersion and skew of interregional inequality also shape the allocation of centralized spending. With growing economic dispersion across regions, decision makers are more likely to fund policy categories that aid citizens in all regions over those that are locally targeted. By contrast, with the distribution of regional productivity skewing farther to the right, central expenditure is likely to become more locally targeted. We find strong evidence for these propositions in error correction models using new measures of interregional inequality and government policy priorities for 24 OECD countries.
Ha, Eunyoung, Dong-wook Lee, and Puspa Amri, 2014. “Trade and Welfare Compensation: The Missing Links.” International Interactions. 40: 631-656. [View]
Abstract: This study uses theory from embedded liberalism to reorient the debate over efficiency versus compensation in the trade and welfare literature. We detail the causal mechanisms and provide empirical results that show how welfare spending can be a necessary condition to further trade liberalization. We argue that increases in welfare compensation lead to stronger public support for trade, which allows states to further advance along the path toward trade liberalization. Based on the 1995 and 2003 ISSP (International Social Survey Program) for ten OECD countries, our multilevel statistical analyses (individual and country level) show that (1) workers in import-exposed sectors tend to strongly oppose trade, but this effect is substantially diminished when they receive unemployment compensation, and (2) public support for free trade is significantly associated with higher levels of trade openness.
Dar, Luciana, and Dong-wook Lee, 2014. “Partisanship, Political Polarization, and State Higher Education Budget Outcomes.” Journal of Higher Education 85(4):469-498. [View]
Abstract: in this article, we explore how partisanship affects state higher education policy priorities and expenditures. We assume that party coalitions are heterogeneous and policy preferences/priorities differ via mediating factors. We find that Democratic Party strength positively affects state funding for higher education but that the effect diminishes as political polarization or unemployment increases.
Conference Presentations
Conference Presentations
Paper (with Melissa Rogers). “Political Parties and the Geography of
Economic Preferences.” Presented at MPSA 2024, Chicago, IL. April 4-7, 2024. Previous versions were presented at APSA 2023 (my co-author’s in-person attendance), Los Angeles, CA, August 31-September 3, 2023, and at APSA 2022 (in-person attendance), Montreal, Quebec, Canada. September
15-18, 2022.
Paper (with Susan Kilgore and SeKewn Kim). “Equity and Equality?
Evidence from the Geographic Dispersion of COVID-19 Testing Sites in Long Island.” Presented at MPSA 2024 (in-person attendance), Chicago, IL. April 4-7, 2024. A previous version was also presented at MPSA 2023 (my co-author’s in-person attendance), Chicago, IL. April 13-16, 2023.
Paper: (with Eunyoung Ha). “Economic Inequality, Mass-Elite Communication, and Political Polarization in South Korea.” The 2022 World Congress of for the 11th World Congress of Korean Studies, October 20–21, 2022, Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Paper: (with Melissa Rogers). “Political Parties and the Geography of Economic Preference." APSA, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 15-18, 2022.
Paper (with Eunyoung Ha). "Left government and currency crisis in emerging markets". MPSA, virtual meeting. April 7-10, 2022.
Paper (with Melissa Rogers). "Voting your region or income? Decomposing variance in redistributive voting”. MPSA, virtual meeting. April 7-10, 2022.
Paper: (with Matthew Jenkins). "Covid YouTube videos, source, and audience engagement in South Korea". Political Communication Conference, Seattle, WA. September 23, 2021.
Paper: (with Melissa Rogers and Hillel Soifer). “The modifiable areal unit problem in Political Science”. APSA, virtual meeting. September 10-13, 2020.
Chair and Discussant: Panel entitled “Election in the land of rising inequality”. APSA, virtual meeting. September 10-13, 2020.
Paper: (with Eunyoung Ha). “Partisan politics, central government transfers, and social policies in South Korea: Evidence from local government data analysis”. The World Congress for Korean Politics and Society, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea. June 24-26, 2019.
Chair and discussant: Panel entitled “Student research conference concurrent panels”. International Studies Student Research Conference, Claremont Graduate University. Claremont, CA. May 3, 2019.
Paper: (with Raul Madrid). “The political geography of wage inequality and public opinion towards Latinos: A text analysis approach”. WPSA, San Diego, CA. April 17-20, 2019.
Chair and discussant: Panel entitled “Theoretical approaches to citizenship and community”. WPSA, San Diego, CA. April 17-20, 2019.
Chair and discussant: Panel entitled “Politics of patronage, parties, and criminal institutions”. WPSA, San Diego, CA. April 17-20, 2019.
Invited Presentations
Invited Presentations
Comparative Politics Workshop, University of Southern California, CA: Voting Your Pocketbook or Voting Your Places: Decomposing Variance in Economic Voting (co-authored with Melissa Rogers). September 2022. Also, invited to Inequality Conference 2022, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany, and Webinar Talk, University of California Santa Barbara, CA.
Sept.2022. University of Southern California:
April 2022. University of Konstanz, Germany:
In_equality Conference 2022, “Voting your region or vote your income? Decomposing variance in redistributive voting” (with Melissa Rodgers).
October 2020. Claremont Graduate University: Inequality and Policy Research Center, “How to measure inequality”. The video link is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqrar28CBq4.
October 2020. Claremont Graduate University: Computational Justice Lab, “Voting your pocketbook or voting your places: decomposing variance in economic voting” (with Melissa Rogers).
September 2020. Claremont Graduate University: Tuesday Talks, “The modifiable areal unit problem in Political Science” (with Melissa Rogers and Hillel Soifer).
February 2020. London School of Economics: Comparative Politics Workshop. “Voting your pocketbook or voting your place? Decomposing variance in vote choice” (with Melissa Rogers).
April 2019. University of California San Diego: US Immigration Policy Center, “Political geography of wage inequality and public opinion towards Latinos: A text analysis approach” (with Raul Madrid).
Other Work
Other Work
The National Institute of Aging pilot study (GR20038). “Fitting the Geographic Distribution of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia to Political Divisions for Health Policy Effectiveness: A Modifiable Areal Unit Problem Approach.” This is an administrative supplement report to parent ”Network on Life Course Health Dynamics and Disparities in 21st Century America (#2424AG045061)”. Lead PI: Javier M. Rodriguez; Co-PIs: Dong Wook Lee, Sandra P. Garcia, and Melissa Rodgers.
Project Status: Completed.
Grants
Grants
2022
Research grant ($8,670) on state and local policies in New York. Funded by the Smauels Center at Baruch College’s Austine W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. Lead PI: Dong Wook Lee; Co-PIs: Sunsan Kilgore and Se Kwen Kim.
2021
National Institute of Aging, Subaward ($65,457) (Lead PI: Javier M. Rodriguez; Co-Investigators: Melissa Z. Rogers, Sandra P. Garcia, and Dong Wook Lee). Funding period: April 15, 2021, to June 30, 2022.
Adelphi Faculty Development Grant ($2,700) (Co-PI: Dong Wook Lee; Susan Kilgore).
2020
Adelphi Faculty Development Grant ($1,500) (PI: Dong Wook Lee).
2019-2020
Faculty Research/Creative Activity Release (Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021), Adelphi University.
2014-2015
Dissertation Research Grant, Claremont Graduate University ($10,000).
2014
National Science Foundation Grant, Empirical Implication of Theoretical Model Summer Program, University of Houston ($2,000).
Research Conference Travel Grant, Institute for Humane Studies, George Mason University ($350).
2009-2016
Teaching and Research Assistant Fellowship, Department of Politics and Policy, Claremont Graduate University.
2012-2013
Graduate Student Council Travel Award, Claremont Graduate University.
2009-2011
Graduate Tuition Fellowship, Claremont Graduate University.
2005-2008
College of Liberal Arts Scholar Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University.
2002
Two Brothers Fellowship for Language Training in German, Yale University.
2001-2002
Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Department of East Asian Language and Literature, Yale University.
Theses Advised
Theses Advised
Honors College Thesis (Reader):
Hughes, Ryan (Spring 2024). "The Exploitation of a Region: A Study on the Impact of Exploitation on Economic Development Historically in Latin America"
Smith, Billy (Spring, 2022). "Inside the Mind of an American Independent Voter: How do we elect the President of the United States of America in the 21st Century?"
Andrade, Isabella (Spring, 2022). "What Leads to the Rise of Populist and Anti-establishment Political Parties in France?"
Shin, Shin. (Spring, 2021). "A Case Study Analysis of the Anti-Defamation League’s work in Public Policy through the lens of John Kingdon’s Public Policy Model."
Senior Capstone (Adviser):
Shchukina, Sofia. (Summer, 2021). "Leadership Quality, Pandemic Isolationism, and Global Health Risk."
Guaman, Joseline. (Spring, 2020). "The Eclipse of Media in National Identity: A Case Study of the Inter-Korean Relationship."
Senior Capstone (Reader):
Wang, Eran. (Spring, 2023). "Twenty-Thousand Feet Above Sea Level: Glacial Lake Outburst Flood".
Projects Mentored
Projects Mentored
Jasmine Aldazabal, EU Internship/Reserrch Project (Fall 2023)
- Supervising research on "Analyzing the Modern-Day Efficacy of the United Nations Security Council Veto Power."
Gurjot Waraich, Electoral Study Project (Fall 2023)
- Data training (DataCamp 5 modules)
- Election data collection / statistical analysis
- Supervising research on the economic effects of the presidential voter turnout (2016-2020).
Anna Varveris, Data Project "Disregarded Subculture in NYC" (Fall 2023)
- Data visualization
- Policy mapping
- R/RStudio statistical software
Saira Amar, Research Assistant (Spring 2021-Spring 2022)
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) basic training
- Online data mining training
Honors and Accomplishments
Honors and Accomplishments
Grants and Awards:
2024
Training at Vassar College with a stipend for the first tier of Bayesian Thinking in STEM program. This was funded by NSF ($2,000)
2024
Outstanding Mentor Award (by Dean's Student Circle).
2022
Research grant ($8,670) on state and local policies in New York. Funded by the Samuels Center at Baruch College’s Austine W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. Lead PI: Dong Wook Lee; Co-PIs: Susan Kilgore and Se Kwen Kim.
2021
National Institute of Aging, Subaward ($65,457) (Lead PI: Javier M. Rodriguez; Co-Investigators: Melissa Z. Rogers, Sandra P. Garcia, and Dong Wook Lee). Funding period: April 15, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
Adelphi Faculty Development Grant ($2,700) (Co-PI: Dong Wook Lee; Susan Kilgore).
2020
Adelphi Faculty Development Grant ($1,500) (PI: Dong Wook Lee).
2019-2023
Adelphi Faculty Research/Creative Activity Release (Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022, Fall 2023)
2014-2015
Dissertation Research Grant, Claremont Graduate University ($10,000).
2014
National Science Foundation Grant, Empirical Implication of Theoretical Model Summer Program, University of Houston ($2,000).
Research Conference Travel Grant, Institute for Humane Studies, George Mason University ($350).
2012-2013
Graduate Student Council Travel Award, Claremont Graduate University.
2009-2016
Teaching and Research Assistant Fellowship, Department of Politics and Policy, Claremont Graduate University.
2009-2011
Graduate Tuition Fellowship, Claremont Graduate University.
2005-2008
College of Liberal Arts Scholar Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University.
2002
Two Brothers Fellowship for Language Training in German, Yale University.
2001-2002
Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Dept. of East Asian Language and Literature, Yale University.
Professional Activities
Professional Activities
Journal Reviewer:
British Journal of Political Science
Political Analysis
International Journal of Comparative Sociology
American Political Science Review
Conference panel chair & discussant
Discussant: Panel entitled "Political Economy of East Asia". APSA, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 15-18, 2022.
Chair and Discussant: Panel entitled “Election in the land of rising inequality”. APSA, virtual meeting. September 10-13, 2020.
Chair and discussant: Panel entitled “Student research conference concurrent panels”. International Studies Student Research Conference, Claremont Graduate University. Claremont, CA. May 3, 2019.
Chair and discussant: Panel entitled “Theoretical approaches to citizenship and community”. WPSA, San Diego, CA. April 17-20, 2019.
Chair and discussant: Panel entitled “Politics of patronage, parties, and criminal institutions”. WPSA, San Diego, CA. April 17-20, 2019.
University Service
University Service
Department Level:
Faculty Fund Committee (Chair: Traci Levy) Fall 2023 – Present.
Responsibility: Budgetary review for the departmental funds to support faculty teaching and research
SOC Student Opportunity Committee (Chair: Maggie Gray) Fall 2023 – Present.
Responsibility: Developing Internship programs /global immersion experiences (for POLIR majors)
Search committee for a tenure-track position in public policy, Spring 2022.
Responsibility: Diversity advocate, reviewing applications, attending job interviews.
The Best Political Science Paper Awards Committee (Chair: Regina Axelrod) Spring 2022, (Chair: Maggie Grey) Spring 2021, Spring 2020.
Responsibility: Selecting the Best Senior Seminar Paper
School (College of Arts and Sciences) Level:
Political Science Liaison to Levermore Global Scholars (LGS) Program (Chair: Susan Briziarelli) Fall 2023 – Spring 2024.
Responsibility: Attending LGS Faculty Meetings and IR Majors (also in LGS) Advising
Asian Studies Affiliated Faculty, Spring 2022-Present.
Director of International Relations Program. Fall 2022.
Responsibility: Course Planning and Majors Advising.
College of Arts and Sciences Academic Affairs Committee (Chair: Ryan Ehrhart) Fall 2020
– Fall 2022.
Responsibility: Reviewing New Course Proposals, New Majors/Minors, and Program Changes
The International Studies Faculty Committee (Chair: Jonathan Hiller) Fall 2019 – Spring 2022.
Responsibility: Decision-making Body for the Curriculum of the IS Program. Student Advising as a member of the Political Science Track.
University Level:
Research/Creative Works Day Committee (Co-chairs: Wei Liu and Karolina Lempert) Fall 2024- Present
Responsibility: Program planning (Fall), moderating the student presentations on the research day (Spring).
Links provided to external websites, including personal faculty sites, do not imply an endorsement by Adelphi University of those sites, their content, or associated products and services.
