Erica Owen

Associate Dean, Associate Professor

Erica Owen is an associate professor and associate dean in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. Previously, she was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University (2011-2018). She has been a visiting researcher at the University of Zurich and a post-doctoral research fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University. She received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on the politics and economics of trade, global production, and automation, with emphasis on the economic well-being and political influence of workers and firms. She has published in leading policy and political science journals, including the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, and Political Science Research Methods.

Courses Taught

  • PIA 2022 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
  • PIA 2301 International Political Economy
  • PIA 2350 Politics of Trade

    Education & Training

  • 2010, PhD in Political Science, University of Minnesota
  • 2005, BA Economics and Political Science, University of Rochester
Recent Publications
  • "Why Do Democracies Attract More of Less Foreign Direct Investment? A Meta-Regression Analysis," with Quan Li and Austin Mitchell. International Studies Quarterly 62(3): 494-504, 2018.
  • "Occupation and the Political Economy of Trade: Job Routineness, Offshorability, and Protectionist Sentiment," with Noel Johnston, International Organization, 2017.
  • “The Political Power of Organized Labor and the Politics of Foreign Direct Investment in Developed Democracies.” Comparative Political Studies 48(13): 1746-1780, 2015.
  • Yoo Sun Jung†, Erica Owen and Shim, Gyu Sang†.‡ “Heterogeneity in How Investors Respond to Disputes: Greenfield FDI and Co-Industrial Disputes.” Forthcoming at Journal of Politics.
  • Owen, Erica and Quan Li‡. Online first. “The Conditional Nature of Publication Bias: A Meta-Regression Analysis.” Political Science and Research Methods.
  • Owen, Erica and Rena Sung†. 2020. “Labor and Trade Protection in Comparative Perspective.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia.
  • Funk, Kendall† and Erica Owen. 2020. “Consequences of an Anti-Corruption Experiment on Local Government Performance in Brazil.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 39(2): 444-468.
  • Sung, Rena,† Erica Owen and Quan Li. 2019. “How Do Capital and Labor Split Economic Gains?” Review of International Political Economy. 1-28.
  • Owen, Erica. 2019. “Foreign Direct Investment and Elections: The Impact of Greenfield FDI on Incumbent Party Re-election in Brazil.” Comparative Political Studies 54(2):613-645.
  • Li, Quan and Erica Owen, with Austin Mitchell†. 2018. “Why Do Democracies Attract More or Less Foreign Direct Investment? A Meta-Regression Analysis.” International Studies Quarterly 62(3):494-504.
  • Owen, Erica and Noel Johnston. 2017. “Occupation and the Political Economy of Trade: Job routineness, offshorability and protectionist sentiment.” International Organization 71(4):665-699.
  • Owen, Erica. 2017. “Exposure to Offshoring and the Politics of Trade Liberalization: Debates and Votes on Free Trade Agreements in the U.S. House of Representatives, 2001-2006.” International Studies Quarterly 61(2): 297-311.
Research Interests
  • International political economy
  • Politics of trade
  • Multinational firms and workers
  • Research methods