Arms Races between Great Powers – Experimental Evidence from the US and China

US-China relations, arms races, experimental design

Research Mentor: Weifang XU ,
Department, College, Affiliation: Political Science, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: wx18@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Political science major especially students who are interested in International Relations, US-China relations, US foreign policy and China foreign policy. This project is also open to students who receive other social science training such as economics, statistics and computer science. But you should take relevant political science class. See the requirements below.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10-12; You need to commit at least 10 hours a week before applying. , During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Please use the following links to join the zoom meeting.

Tuesday, September 5th, 7.30-8pm; Join URL: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94912023877
Wednesday, September 6th, 4.30-5pm; Join URL: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97447118160
Thursday, September 7th, 10.00-10.30 pm; Join URL: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99486680185

Project Description

The United States (US) and China are currently engaged in a broad spectrum of great power competition, spanning from the economy, technology, military, to political influence. One arena of this competition is the arms race, with the US and its allies, Japan and South Korea, on one side, and China and its partner, Russia, on the other side.

States engage in arms races for a variety of reasons, and one of the most well-known explanations is the action-reaction model, which argues that arms dynamics are driven by external factors (Richardson 1960). While the action-reaction model has been widely used to account for arms races through formal modelling and observational studies (e.g., Richardson 1960; Kydd 2000; Majeski and Jones 1981), there is limited experimental evidence that investigates how external threats shape public opinion on military spending. Given that policymakers take public opinion into account when making decisions about military spending (Hartley and Russett, 1992; Ostrom and Marra, 1986), understanding the effect of external threats on public support for military spending is crucial.


Research Tasks: (1) For the most part, your time will be devoted to reading high-level journal articles, equivalent to PhD level or above, and summarizing their main arguments. However, what's most crucial is that I will guide you in utilizing the existing literature effectively to support our own arguments, which is the essence of the publication process.

(2) It is required of you to locate relevant existing survey data and examine the phrasing used in surveys. Since my expertise lies in survey experiments, you will extensively study experimental design and survey methodology, following my instructions to develop into an independent scholar.

In general, I am an ambitious supervisor who expects more than just completion of a certificate. I aim to provide you with practical, hands-on training. This means that your enthusiasm for research should be driven by a genuine passion, rather than merely focusing on grades. My objective is to mentor you into becoming an outstanding scholar, capable of gaining admission into a reputable graduate program, particularly if your current plan involves pursuing political science at the graduate level.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Last year, I received over 50 applications from undergraduate students, but due to limited capacity, I can only accommodate 2-3 students each year. Consequently, I conduct interviews with 5-8 students during the first week to ensure the selection of the most suitable candidates. To streamline the process and identify appropriate applicants, please ensure that you meet the following requirements before submitting your application. If you cannot commit the hours I listed, I suggest you applying other projects.

Requirements:

(1) You must have completed at least THREE semesters at FSU (Including this fall semester), as I do not accept freshmen. The assigned tasks in this program are geared towards graduate or PhD-level work.

(2) If you are majoring in political science or international affairs, you should have successfully FINISHED INR 2002 Introduction to International Relations before applying.

(3) During the Fall semester, you will be required to enroll in one of my classes for training purposes. Your options are either Chinese Foreign Policy or US-China Relations, both held on Wednesdays or Thursdays from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

(4) Prior to applying, you should be able to commit to a minimum of 10 hours of work per week. Typically, you will work 12 hours, except during exam weeks.

(5) In order to be eligible for an interview, please submit your CV and transcript in PDF format, rather than screenshots. Failure to complete these two tasks will render you ineligible for consideration.

The following are not mandatory requirements, but if you have fulfilled them, you will benefit greatly from this training:

If you are currently enrolled in or have completed the following courses—POS 3713 (Understanding Political Science Research Methods) and POS 4715 (Politics and the Theory of Games)—you will derive the greatest advantage. The statistical methods you learned in these classes can be directly applied to hands-on research.