Overview
Rachel Myrick is the Douglas and Ellen Lowey Associate Professor of Political Science at Duke. Her research explores how partisan polarization affects foreign policymaking in democracies, with an emphasis on U.S. national security policy. More broadly, she is interested in the interplay between domestic and international politics in matters of security and conflict. Her first book, Polarization and International Politics: How Extreme Partisanship Threatens Global Stability, was published in 2025 with Princeton University Press in their Studies in International History and Politics Series. Her research is published at journals like International Organization, British Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, and International Studies Quarterly, among others.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor of Political Science
·
2025 - Present
Political Science,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Publications
Today Ukraine, Tomorrow Taiwan? Assessing US Reputation and Deterrence across International Crises
Journal Article International Studies Quarterly · March 1, 2026 When does a state’s reputation for resolve transfer across separate international crises and deter future challengers? We propose three assumptions underlying “Cross-Crisis Reputational Deterrence” (CCRD). First, a defender’s response to a crisis leads a n ... Full text CiteForeign Policy Failures and Global Attitudes Towards Great Powers: Evidence from the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Journal Article British Journal of Political Science · January 2, 2026 Do perceived foreign policy failures shape assessments of a country’s leadership in the eyes of international observers? We explore the consequences of foreign policy failures using global reactions to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some argue that a ... Full text CitePolarization and International Politics How Extreme Partisanship Threatens Global Stability
Book · September 16, 2025 "How polarization undermines the advantages democracies have in foreign affairs"-- Provided by publisher. ... CiteEducation, Training & Certifications
Stanford University ·
2021
Ph.D.
University of Oxford (United Kingdom) ·
2015
M.Phil.