Anand Rao is an assistant professor of political science & international relations. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia in 2015 and joined the faculty at SUNY Geneseo in that same year. At Geneseo, he regularly teaches an introductory comparative politics class as well as higher-level courses on the topics of East Asian politics, terrorism and national security, and democratic peace theory. Dr. Rao is a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship recipient and was an Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, University of Oxford from October to December 2023.
Office Hours: Fall 2024
Tuesday 1-4pm and by appointment during other hours.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Ph.D. in Politics, University of Virginia, August 2015
Certificate in Japanese, Full-Year Asian Language Concentration Program, Cornell University, May 2002
M.A. in Political Science, Columbia University, May 2000
B.A. in History and Political Science, Union College (NY), June 1996
Peer-Reviewed Publications
"Presence of Malice: Japan and North Korea's Non-Relations," in Strategies of Survival: North Korean Foreign Policy Under Kim Jong-Un, edited by Jun Taek Kwon & Weiqi Zhang, Lexington Books (April 2023), pp. 77-96: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666922318/Strategies-of-Survival-North-Kore…
"Is the East Asia Quadrilateral Sustainable?," Asian Politics & Policy 13:2 (April 2021), pp. 266-279.
"To Dodge or Bite the Bullet: Immigration Politics in Japan," Japan Studies Association Journal 15:1 (2017), pp. 66-82.
Other Publications
Commentary, "Shadow of Japanese Colonialism May Cloud U.S. policy," Times Union (Albany), 27 July 2021, https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Commentary-Shadow-of-Japanes…
Book Review, "New Policies for New Residents: Immigrants, Advocacy, and Governance in Japan and Beyond," by Deborah J. Milly, Cornell University Press, in International Migration Review 50:1 (Spring 2016), pp. e5-e6.
Research Interests & Affiliations
Research Interests:
- Comparative politics
- International relations
- Immigration politics
- East Asian politics
- Domestic politics & foreign relations of Japan
- Academic Visitor at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, October-December 2023
Paper Presentations Done to Date at:
- Association for Asian Studies--2017
- Japan Studies Association--2011, '17, '19
- Midwest Political Science Association--2013, '16
- New York State Political Science Association--2018
- Northeastern Political Science Association--2019, '22
- Political Studies Association (UK)--2019, '23
- American Political Science Association--2023
Policy Related Activities
Selected after a competitive application process to be a member of Cohort V (2019-2022) of the U.S.-Japan Network for the Future, a program run by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. More information can be found here. Also, you can listen to my 2023 interview with Mansfield Foundation staff member Tim White here.
Classes
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PLSC 120: Comparative Politics
An introduction to the comparative study of political behavior and institutions. Brief consideration of individual cases suggests concepts and insights which will facilitate the study and criteria for judgment of differing types of political systems in differing environments and at different stages of development. Includes elementary explanation of "types," "environments," and the concepts of "development". Prepares the entering student for more intensive studies of particular geographical and institutional areas. Major examples considered are drawn from areas other than the United States however, students are encouraged to apply newly introduced concepts to the politics of the United States.
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PLSC 355: Politics of East Asia
This course examines the domestic and international politics of East Asia. How have historical and political factors shaped such varied polities, including a communist country contending with massive socioeconomic and political change and a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system? How successful have the countries of the region been in addressing the political and socioeconomic aspirations of their populations? Which countries have emerged as regional or global powers, and with what effect on the international system? Two major Asian powers, China and Japan, are studied in detail, and the considerable diversity of the region is explored through additional country studies. In addition, each student has the opportunity to pursue study of a pertinent topic of special interest throughout the individual project requirement. The course does not presuppose prior knowledge of East Asian history and politics.
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PLSC 447: Terrorism & National Security
This course is designed to introduce students to the study of terrorism’s past, present, and future. Students will explore numerous features of the subject including, but not limited to: definitional dilemmas; the origins and evolution of terrorism; tactical and targeting innovation; the psychology and characteristics of terrorist actors, including women; case studies; and counter-terrorism strategies.