Dr. Elvis Kim

Dr. Elvis Kim, an assistant professor of comparative politics, studies broad but fundamental questions concerning democratization, social movements, political institutions, and public opinion, with a regional focus on China and East Asia. From the perspective of state-society relations, he has examined whether the expansion of the internet and social media has facilitated pro-democracy movements worldwide and how calls for democratization during the Arab Spring mobilized millions to revolt in Tunisia but sparked little interest in China. The case study suggests that the internet alone cannot determine the direction of political change. Rather, it is spatially and temporally situated state and societal actors who collectively determine the process and outcome of politics. Developed from his dissertation, Kim’s current research continues to focus on state-society relations and investigates how institutional environments have affected non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19 and their lasting impacts on government legitimacy and regime stability. The COVID-19 pandemic provoked a wide range of government responses and caused a staggering number of deaths globally. It has become an indicator and test of political systems. Using mixed methods, the preliminary analysis shows that institutions that simultaneously facilitate social control and social inclusion can lead to a more balanced approach to pandemic response. Kim teaches introductory courses in comparative politics and international relations, contemporary Chinese politics, politics of East Asia, social movements and contentious politics, and democratization and democratic backsliding.