Department of Political Science

University of Notre Dame

International Relations Placement Candidates

View Candidates by Field American Politics Comparative Politics International Relations Political Theory

 

JAMES THOMPSON (Ph.D. expected May 2008)

James Thompson received a B.A. in Political Science from Saint Mary's College of California in 1999. In 2000 he enrolled in the doctoral program in Political Science at the University of Notre Dame. His research interests are primarily in the field of International Relations, although he also has a strong interest in Political Theory, particularly with regard to the relevance of Political Theory for the study of International Relations. His dissertation, written under the supervision of Professor Dan Lindley, re-conceptualizes the nature of state identity and then combines this evaluation with a neorealist understanding of state behavior in an anarchic world, thereby arriving at the argument that when the nature of state identity is properly understood, neorealist theory can be used to predict the integration of certain states over time. Thompson has presented academic papers at the APSA, MPSA, SPSA and ISA conferences, on the subjects of transatlantic security cooperation, the relationship between International Relations theory and early modern political philosophy, and on the political philosophy of John Locke. He has acted as a research assistant to professors for eight semesters at Notre Dame, has been a TA for six semesters, and in 2001 he received an award from Notre Dame's Kaneb Center for excellence as a TA.
Curriculum Vitae