Stephen Bagwell | Scholars Strategy Network

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About Stephen

Bagwell's research focuses on the intersection of political violence and political economy, guided by two overarching questions: are economic tools effective at promoting change in abusive government behavior; and how do economic outcomes impact the decisions and ability of groups to mobilize and dissent? Bagwell serves as a member of the Economic and Social Rights team with the Human Rights Measurement Initiative, which aims to produce metrics for government fulfillment of human rights around the world.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Human Rights Declined During the COVID-19 Pandemic, in Countries From Angola to the US to New Zealand

Commentary, May 2022

In the News

Opinion: "Foreign Companies Exiting Russia Echo the Pressure Campaign Against South Africa’s Racist Apartheid System," Stephen Bagwell (with Meridith LaVelle), The Conversation, May 25, 2022.

Guest on Human Rights Data for the Global Public Good/ Hertie School Data Science Lab, May 11, 2022.

Guest on UMSL Global and the World Affairs Council, April 21, 2022.

Guest on UMSL Global, the History Department, and the Political Science Department, February 28, 2022.

Guest on Audacy/98.7 KMOX The Voice of St. Louis, February 25, 2022.

Interviewed in "Tracking Rights Fulfillment in the Human Rights Measurement Initiative," (with Annie-Marie Brook, Annie Watson, Chad Clay, Elizabeth Kaletski, Matt Rains, and Susan Randolph) Human Rights Research and Data Hub Workshop, February 24, 2022.

Guest on Audacy/98.7 KMOX The Voice of St. Louis, February 24, 2022.

Guest on U.S. Elections Robust Safeguards Help Ensure the Integrity of Election Results, January 22, 2021.

Opinion: "Assessing The Risk Of Electoral Violence In The United States," Stephen Bagwell (with Austin C Doctor), Political Violence at A Glance, October 13, 2020.

Opinion: "Electorial Violence In Sub-Saharan Africa And Its Economic Consequences," Stephen Bagwell (with Austin C Doctor), Political Violence at A Glance, April 22, 2020.

Publications

"Risky Business: Foreign Direct Investment and the Economic Consequences of Electoral Violence" (with Austin C Doctor). Journal of Global Security Studies 5, no. 2 (2020): 339–360.

Finds that large multinational firms are sensitive to the political risks in maintaining investments in countries which experience violence surrounding elections. Discusses they are more likely to divest from states which suffer from violent electoral processes than they are from states which experience civil war.

"Publicity and Perceptions of Risk: The Effects of HRO Naming and Shaming on Sovereign Credit Rating" (with Shelby L. Hall). Journal of Human Rights 19, no. 3 (2020): 379-391.

Provides evidence that naming and shaming campaigns undertaken by international human rights organizations lead to a decline in sovereign credit rating, while actual human rights abuses are not.