Gizem Kaftan

Gizem Kaftan is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Political Science Department. Kaftan’s research examines the European Union and nationalist and populist movements in the European Union by focusing on the rule of law, women, and LGBT+ rights. She uses quantitative methods such as regression and social network analysis to understand the relationship between the EU leaders and populist leaders from EU member countries. To learn more about Kaftan’s research and to view her recent publications, visit  her wagepage or visit her website.

In spring 2023, Kaftan received a CISS award to support her research which focuses on European Union, nationalism, populism, women’s and LGBT+ rights, and their relationship with the rule of law. In her conference paper, she argues that taxing or financially punishing an illiberal European Union member-state is more effective because these illiberal regimes, generally found in Central and Eastern Europe, depend more on European Union funding. Her research shows that, especially on topics related to minority rights, taxing illiberal countries is more effective than shaming them and can create behavioral change. She plans to present her conference paper at American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting in 2023 in Los Angeles with the support of the CISS mini-grant. Learn more in our featured article.