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Victor Menaldo

Professor of Political Science, Co-founder of the Political Economy Forum, University of Washington
Victor Menaldo (Ph.D., Stanford University, 2009) is a professor of Political Science and is affiliated with the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CSSS), Near and Middle Eastern Studies, and the Center for Environmental Politics. He co-founded and co-leads the UW Political Economy Forum (along with James Long and Rachel Heath).

He specializes in comparative politics and political economy.

Menaldo has published articles in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Annual Review of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, World Politics, Comparative Politics, International Studies Quarterly, Economics & Politics, Political Science Quarterly, Policy Sciences, Business & Politics, among several other places.

His first book, “The Institutions Curse,” is published by Cambridge University Press (2016). Menaldo's second book, "Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy" (with Mike Albertus), is also with Cambridge University Press (2018).

Menaldo is interested in the political economy of property rights, industrialization, innovation, liberal democracy, and development and enjoys sharing his insights with policymakers, pundits, and the general public; he has published numerous Op-eds in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post (Monkey Cage), USA Today, Seattle Times, Forbes, Foreign Policy, Areo, and Inside Higher Ed.

He is currently writing a book on the political economy of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

How constitutional guardrails have always contained presidential ambitions

Jan 17, 2025 14:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Politics

As Donald Trumps second inauguration fast approaches, concerns he threatens American democracy are rising yet again. Some warnings have cited Trumps authoritarian rhetoric, willingness to undermine or malign institutions...

Why many countries have prosecuted former leaders

Jun 01, 2024 03:06 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

A Manhattan jury on May 30, 2024 convicted former President Donald Trump on charges he falsified business records related to the cover-up of his relationship with a porn star. While this trial is now over, Trump still...

How the indictment of Donald Trump is a 'strange and different' event for America, according to political scientists

Apr 05, 2023 13:11 pm UTC| Politics

The indictment of a former president of the United States, Donald Trump, is history happening in real time. The Conversation asked political scientists James D. Long and Victor Menaldo, both at the University of...

With Trump's role on Jan. 6 becoming clearer, and potentially criminal, GOP voters are starting to look at different options

Jul 14, 2022 15:32 pm UTC| Politics

As the Jan. 6 committee reconvened for another round of hearings, the question remains: Will the Justice Department indict former President Donald Trump for his role in the assault on the U.S. Capitol? In public...

Economy

China Industrial Profits Slump Signals Need for More Economic Stimulus

Profits at Chinas industrial firms fell sharply in November, marking the fastest year-on-year decline in more than a year and underscoring the fragile state of the countrys economic recovery. According to data released by...

Japan to Audit Brazil’s Beef System, Paving Way for Market Access

Japan is set to conduct a comprehensive audit of Brazils beef sanitary system in March 2026, marking a significant step toward the possible opening of Japans lucrative beef market to Brazilian beef exports. The...

Wall Street Ends Post-Christmas Session Flat as Investors Eye Santa Claus Rally

Wall Street finished a light-volume, post-Christmas trading session nearly unchanged on Friday, as investors found little fresh news to drive strong market conviction. After a solid five-session rally, all three major U.S....

Argentina Congress Approves 2026 Budget Under Milei, Marking First Legislative Passage Since 2023

Argentinas Congress has approved the countrys 2026 national budget, marking the first budget bill passed by legislators since President Javier Milei assumed office in late 2023. The budget was approved on Friday by a vote...

U.S. Stocks Hold Steady After Christmas as Trading Volumes Stay Light

U.S. stocks were mostly unchanged following the Christmas holiday, as subdued trading activity and thin volumes defined the session ahead of a shortened New Years trading week. With many global markets still observing...

Politics

FBI to Permanently Close Hoover Building, Relocate Headquarters to Reagan Building

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that the agency will permanently shut down its historic headquarters, the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., marking a major shift in the bureaus long-discussed...

Mark Carney Reaffirms Canada’s Support for Ukraine as Peace Talks With Russia Gain Momentum

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday to discuss the latest developments in ongoing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, according to a...

Zelenskiy to Meet Trump in Florida as Ukraine-U.S. Peace Framework Nears Completion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to discuss key territorial issues and security guarantees as negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine enter a...

Lebanon Cabinet Approves Financial Gap Law to Tackle Ongoing Economic Crisis

Lebanons cabinet has approved a controversial draft law aimed at addressing the countrys prolonged financial crisis, a move seen as a critical step toward unlocking long-awaited international financial support. The...

Zelenskiy to Meet Trump to Advance Ukraine Peace Talks and Security Guarantees

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Friday that he plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday as part of ongoing efforts to bring an end to Russias war in Ukraine. The high-level meeting is...

Science

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Technology

Nvidia and Groq Strike Strategic AI Inference Licensing Deal

Reports earlier this week suggested that Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) had agreed to acquire AI chip startup Groq in a $20 billion all-cash transaction. However, updated details clarify that the arrangement is not a traditional...

TSMC Honors Japanese Chip Equipment Makers With 2025 Supplier Awards

Several leading Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturers have been recognized with 2025 Supplier Awards from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), highlighting their growing importance in the global chip...

Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance

NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has reportedly agreed to acquire Groq, a fast-growing designer of high-performance artificial intelligence accelerator chips, in a $20 billion all-cash transaction, according to a CNBC report. The...

Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling

A federal judge in Texas has blocked the enforcement of a new state law that would have required app stores and developers to verify users ages, marking a significant legal win for major technology companies and digital...

FTC Praises Instacart for Ending AI Pricing Tests After $60M Settlement

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has welcomed Instacarts decision to end its artificial intelligence-based price testing, a move that follows weeks of consumer backlash and regulatory scrutiny. FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson...