Lora Anne Viola is currently University Professor in the Politics Department of the John F. Kennedy Institute at the Freie Universität Berlin (FUB). She received a PhD in Political Science from the University of Chicago, a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Economics from Columbia University in New York City. Before joining the FUB she was a Senior Research Fellow at the Berlin Social Science Research Center (WZB) and a visiting scholar at Stanford and Oxford Universities. She has held research fellowships at the European University Institute and the Ludwig Maximillian University, Munich. She is a native New Yorker and an adopted Berliner.

Viola’s research areas include international institutions and global order, US foreign policy and diplomacy, international relations theory, historical institutionalism, and inequality in the international system. She has published on the G20, shifting patterns of governance, international organizations and inequality, institutional legitimacy, and US foreign policy.

Viola’s book on inequality and hierarchy in the international system, The Closure of the International System, has been published in 2020 with Cambridge University Press in the prestigious Cambridge Studies in International Relations series. She is also co-editor of Historical Institutionalism and International Relations: Explaining Institutional Development in World Politics (Oxford University Press, 2016). Her article “Putting Path Dependence in Its Place” (Journal of Theoretical Politics, together with Thomas Rixen) was awarded APSA’s 2016 Alexander L. George Award. Her article “Legitimacy and Institutional Change in International Organizations” (2017 Review of International Studies, with Tobias Lenz) is the journal’s most cited article of the last three years. She has been awarded a German National Science Foundation (DFG) research grant for a project on Trust and Transparency in an Age of Surveillance (TATAS). In 2018, at the FUB’s 70th Anniversary celebrations she received the University’s prestigious Prize for Excellence in Doctoral Supervision.

Professor Viola is a frequent guest contributor on various national and international news outlets.

     

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Most recent publication:

“‘Systemic (In)Significance’ and the New Logic of Stratification in Global Governance.” 2020. Global Society.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2020.1739630

  

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Doctoral Projects Supervised as First Adviser (Erstgutachter)

Cheung, Jessica	Approaches to Feminist Foreign Policy in Canada and Sweden	In Progress
Frost, Ana Constantina	Mechanisms of Conflict-Generated Diaspora Mobilization: The Central American Diasporas in the United States	In Progress
Schrot, Jacob	On the Evolution and Cyclicity of Great Powers: Global Power Dispersal and High Frequency Transition	In Progress
Winter, Elisabeth	Economic Statecraft in the 21st Century: Networks of Free Trade Agreements as Foreign Policy Instruments	In Progress

Kantor, Dorian	Politics as Law: Juridified Executive Unilateralism in the Global War on Terror	Defended 2019
Sanjana, Feroza	International Political Economy Meets Social Psychology: UNCTAD, Developing Countries and the Spread of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs)	Defended 2019
Koch, Mirijam	The Role of Interest Groups in US Sanctions Policy Towards Iran from 2007-2016	Defended 2019
Knecht, Sebastian	The Politics of Tiered Membership in Intergovernmental Organizations	Defended 2019
Dreher, Vincent	In Pursuit of Systemic Stability: Explaining International Financial Regulatory Policy Change after the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-09	Defended 2018
Großklaus, Mathias	The Intertextuality of Global Norms: Discursive Strategies and Incremental Change	Defended 2018
Venhaus, Marc	US Hegemony in Finance and China’s Ascent in Times of Global Financial Crisis: From Washington’s Dusk to Beijing’s Dawn?	Defended 2016
Knüpfer, Curd	Right-Wing Realities? News Media Fragmentation, Conservatism, and the Framing of U.S. Foreign Policy	Defended 2015
Regilme, Salvador	A Theory of Interest Convergence: Explaining the Impact of US Strategic Support on Southeast Asia’s Human Rights Situation, 1992-2013	Defended 2015

Summer 2020

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: " The Politics and Policies of the U.S. in International Organizations". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Mastercolloqium Political Science". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Rising Powers in World Politics". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Current topics in American Politics". [Co-taught with Christian Lammert]. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Rationalities and Practices of Surveillance".[Co-taught with Markus Kienscherf]. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Grad School Course:"Theories and Methods in Political and Social Science". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Winter 2019/20

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "US Foreign Policy: System, State and Public." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Research Design and Methods for Political Science". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Mastercolloquium Political Science". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Summer 2019

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "Rising Powers and the US in World Politics." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Rationalities and Practices of Surveillance". [Co-taught with Markus Kienscherf]. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Mastercolloquium Politik". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Winter 2018/19

Lecturer, Master Course: "Ringvorlesung: Surveillance and Social Order." [Co-taught with Markus Kienscherf]. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "U.S. Foreign Policy, System, State, and Public". Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Research Design and Methods for Political Science." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Summer 2018

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "The US in International Organizations." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: "Hegemonic Decline in Comparative Perspective." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Grad School Course: "Theories and Methods for Studying Interest Group Influence on Foreign Policy." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Winter 2017/18

- Sabbatical -

Summer 2017

Lecturer, Master Course: "American Hegemony in International Organizations." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "American Foreign Policy and Contemporary Global Challenges." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Colloquium: "Bachelor-Colloquium Politik." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Winter 2016/17

Lecturer, Master Course: "Introduction to Theories and Methods in Political Science." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "US Foreign Policy: System, State, and Public." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Grad School Course: "Theories and Methods in Political and Social Science Research." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Summer 2015

Lecturer, Master Course: "The US in the Middle East." [Co-taught with Jessica Gienow-Hecht]. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "Rising Powers in World Politics." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Winter 2014/15

Lecturer, Master Course: "Hegemony and Empire in the "American Century." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

TATAS - Trust and Transparency in an Age of Surveillance

In this DFG-funded research project the theoretical and empirical relationship between trust in government, government transparency, and security surveillance policies is studied by a comparative analysis of the US, Germany, and Poland. For more details on the research project visit the TATAS Blog.

 

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Recent Book Release!

The Closure of the International System: How Institutions Create Political Equalities and Hierarchies

Books

Trust and Transparency in an Age of Surveillance (in preparation for Routledge Studies in Surveillance).

The Closure of the International System: How Institutions Create Political Equalities and Hierarchies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Studies in International Relations Series (2020).
http://doi.org/10.1017/9781108612562

Historical Institutionalism and International Relations: Explaining Institutional Development in World Politics (edited with Thomas Rixen and Michael Zürn) Oxford University Press (2016).
http://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198779629.003.0001

 

Articles and Chapters

“‘Systemic (In)Significance’ and the New Logic of Stratification in Global Governance.” 2020. Global Society.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2020.1739630

“Indirect Governance and Global Financial Regulation” (with T. Rixen). 2020. In The Governor’s Dilemma: Indirect Governance Beyond Principals and Agents, Edited by Abbott, Genschel, Snidal, Zangl, Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198855057.003.0001

“Trump and the Transatlantic Relationship in Critical Perspective.” 2020. Perspectives on Politics.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096519001951

“Die USA und internationale Organisationen: Eine ambivalente Beziehung.” 2020. In Handbuch Politik USA, Edited by Christian Lammert, Markus Siewert and Boris Vormann, Springer VS Verlag.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-04125-0_45-1

“Legitimacy-Based Sources of International Institutional Change: The Case of Parliamentarization in Regional Organizations” (with T. Lenz). 2019. International Studies Quarterly.
https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqz051

“The G20 Through the Lens of Historical Institutionalism.” 2019. In The G20 and International Relations Theory: Perspectives on Global Summitry, Edited by Steven Slaughter, Edward Elgar.
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781786432650.00011

“Trump und das Ende des Multilateralismus—schon wieder?“ 2018. In Die USA—eine scheiternde Demokratie? Edited by Patrick Horst et al. Campus Verlag.
https://www.campus.de/buecher-campus-verlag/wissenschaft/politikwissenschaft/die_usa_eine_scheiternde_demokratie-15126.html

“Legitimacy and Institutional Change in International Organizations: A Cognitive Approach” (with Tobias Lenz). 2017. Review of International Studies.
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210517000201

“US-amerikanische Außenpolitik unter Trump und die Krisen der Globalisierung.” 2017. Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12399-017-0657-6

“Historical Institutionalism and International Relations: Towards Explaining Change and Stability in International Institutions,” (with Thomas Rixen) in Rixen, Viola, Zürn (Eds.) Historical Institutionalism and International Relations: Explaining Institutional Development in World Politics, Oxford University Press (2016) (blind peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198779629.003.0001

“Putting Path Dependence in its Place: Toward a Taxonomy of Institutional Change” (with Thomas Rixen) (2015) Journal of Theoretical Politics, 26(3): 1-23. (Alexander George Award Winner, APSA) (double blind peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.1177/0951629814531667

“Orchestration by Design: The G-20 in International Financial Regulation,” in Abott, Kenneth, et al. (eds.) International Organizations as Orchestrators, Cambridge University Press (2015). (blind peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139979696.006

“Stratificatory Differentiation as a Constitutive Principle of the International System,” in Mathias Albert, Barry Buzan, and Michael Zürn (eds.) Bringing Sociology to International Relations, Cambridge University Press (2013). (blind peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139856041.009

“The Role of the United States in International Organizations: Primus inter Pares?” in Lammert, Christian, Markus Siewert and Boris Vormann (eds.) Handbuch Politik USA, Springer VS Verlag (2015). (peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-04125-0_32-1

“The Governance Shift: From Multilateral IGOs to Orchestrated Networks” in Mayntz, Renate (ed.) Negotiated Reform: The Multilevel Governance of Financial Regulation, Campus Verlag (2015). (peer reviewed)
https://www.campus.de/buecher-campus-verlag/wissenschaft/politikwissenschaft/negotiated_reform-10194.html

“Sovereign (In)equality in the Evolution of the International System” (with Duncan Snidal and Michael Zürn) in Leibfried, Stephan et al. (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Transformations of the State, Oxford University Press (2015). (peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199691586.013.11

“The G-20 and Global Financial Regulation,” in Moschella, Manuela and Catherine Weaver (Eds.) Handbook of Global Economic Governance: Players, Power and Paradigms, Routledge Press: 115-128 (2014). (peer reviewed)
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203156377-8

“Institutioneller Wandel durch Wettbewerb: Wie die Zivilgesellschaft die WHO verändert hat” in Gesellschaftliche Politisierung internationale Institutionen, Zürn, Michael et al. (Eds.) Suhrkamp Verlag (2013). (peer reviewed)
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/bringing-sociology-to-international-relations/9E4CB18EF82E5F5577009ED8E46DB32E ???

“The Gulf of Tonkin Incident and Deception in American Foreign Policy,” in Bieger, Laura and Christian Lammert (Eds.) The 1960s: America’s Longest Decade, Campus Verlag (2013).
https://www.campus.de/buecher-campus-verlag/wissenschaft/kulturwissenschaften/revisiting_the_sixties-4483.html

“Das Ende des American Century? Der Niedergang der globalen Hegemonie der USA und seine Auswirkungen auf die internationale Politik” in Etges, Andreas and Winfried Fluck (Eds.) American Dream? Die demokratische Gesellschaft in der Krise, Campus Verlag (2011).
https://www.campus.de/buecher-campus-verlag/wissenschaft/politikwissenschaft/american_dream-4065.html

   

 Working Papers

“Informal Institutions and Procedural Justice in Global Governance”

“Informal Institutions, Groups, and Coalitions in IOs”

“The Evolutionary Design of International Institutions” (with Duncan Snidal)

“Between Legitimacy and Efficiency: Institutional Fragmentation as a New Division of Labor”

“Coping with Diversity: The US’ Institutional Adjustment to the Global ‘Power Shift’”

“Power Shifts and Hegemonic Strategies of Institutional Adaptation”

“Explaining the Expansion and Persistence of the American Security State: Fearful Publics, SLICC Bureaucrats, Private Contractors, and Path Dependence”

“The Paradox of Trust and Transparency During National Security Emergencies”

“Security Surveillance vs. Economic Surveillance: A Comparative Analysis of International Discourses and Practices of Surveillance Across Two Issue Areas”

“The Limits of Transparency for Regulating International Surveillance Practices: Policy Reactions to NSA Spying in the US, Germany, and the UK