Jonathan A. Chu

Welcome to my web page! I'm a political scientist who specializes in international relations and comparative politics. My research investigates how democratic values, identity, and institutions (including international law, norms, and organizations) affect foreign policy in areas such as humanitarian intervention, military alliances, and China's great power status. Through this work, I also seek to better understand the domestic and behavioral foundations of world politics.

My research appears in the Journal of Conflict Resolution and has been supported by the NSF, Qualtrics, and the U.S. Department of Defense, and received the Finkelstein Paper Prize (International Organization Section, International Studies Association) and Weber Paper Award (Religion & Politics Section, American Political Science Association).

Beyond research, I have taught original courses on human rights and the laws of war. I've also applied my expertise in projects with the National Opinion Research Council, USAID, and W. W. Norton Press. I'm currently the Director of Operations at CivicPulse, a non-profit organization that polls local government officials across the United States.

I'm now a Postdoctoral Fellow at Perry World House and the Department of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am also affiliated with the Penn Identity and Conflict Lab, the Browne Center, and the Center for the Study of Contemporary China. I received a B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego, and a Ph.D. also in political science from Stanford University.