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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

Trump Imposes New US Tariffs on Drone Imports Over National Security Concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on imported drones and drone components on Thursday, citing national security concerns and the countrys heavy reliance on foreign suppliers. Under a proclamation signed by...

Canada-US Trade Talks Gain Momentum Ahead of Aug. 19 Tariff Deadline

Canada-US trade negotiations are making positive progress as both countries push to reach an agreement before new U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports are scheduled to take effect on Aug. 19, according to a Canadian government...

Oil Prices Fall as U.S. Crude Inventories Surge and Hormuz Tensions Persist

Oil prices declined Thursday as unexpectedly large U.S. crude inventories, weaker global demand forecasts and continued tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz weighed on the market. Brent crude futures for October...

Gold Prices Retreat From Two-Month High as Softer Inflation Eases Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices fell Thursday as investors took profits after bullion recently climbed to a fresh two-month high. Despite the pullback, softer U.S. inflation data continued to support the precious metal by reducing...

Wall Street Hits Record High as Softer Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears

Wall Street closed at a record high Thursday as softer U.S. producer inflation data reduced expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike, boosting technology stocks and pushing Treasury yields lower. The SP 500 gained 0.7%...

Politics

Israel Warned US of Alleged Iran Plot to Assassinate Trump

Israel repeatedly warned the United States over the past year that Iran may have been planning to assassinate President Donald Trump, although U.S. intelligence agencies were unable to independently verify several of the...

Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Island, Sparking Strong Protest From Japan

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed island of Iturup on Thursday, triggering a sharp diplomatic protest from Japan amid longstanding tensions over the Kuril Islands. Known as Iturup in Russia and Etorofu...

Israeli Troops Enter Qusra Homes as West Bank Settler Siege Continues

Israeli troops took positions inside Palestinian homes in Qusra in the occupied West Bank on Thursday as families remained caught in a days-long siege involving Israeli settlers, according to the village mayor and...

North Korea Slams US-South Korea Drills, Vows Stronger Nuclear Deterrence

North Korea on Friday condemned upcoming U.S.-South Korea military drills, describing this years exercises as more provocative than those held in 2025 and warning of stronger measures to counter what it sees as growing...

Trump Orders U.S. Navy to Return to Steam Catapults for Aircraft Carriers

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to replace its electromagnetic aircraft launch systems with traditional steam catapults, marking a major shift in the technology used aboard the Navys newest aircraft...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Anthropic Eyes $6B Decart AI Acquisition Ahead of Mega IPO

Anthropic is reportedly in talks to acquire Nvidia-backed AI startup Decart AI as the Claude developer looks to expand its computing capabilities and address growing demand ahead of a potential public listing. Bloomberg...

Google Pushes Gemini AI Overhaul as Sergey Brin Targets Model Supremacy

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has stepped up efforts to accelerate development of the companys Gemini AI models as Alphabet battles OpenAI and Anthropic for leadership in artificial intelligence. Brin has reportedly urged...

Lenovo Revenue Surges 43% as AI Demand Drives Record First-Quarter Growth

Lenovo Group reported record first-quarter revenue as booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-enabled devices fueled strong growth across its major businesses, pushing its Hong Kong-listed shares...

Cisco Forecasts Strong Fiscal 2027 Growth as AI Networking Demand Surges

Cisco Systems has issued a stronger-than-expected fiscal 2027 outlook, fueled by rising demand for networking equipment and artificial intelligence infrastructure from hyperscale customers. The networking technology giant...

Super Micro Stock Jumps 19% as AI Server Demand Drives Strong 2027 Outlook

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) shares surged about 19% on Wednesday after the AI server maker issued fiscal 2027 guidance that significantly exceeded Wall Street expectations, easing concerns following its softer...