Rebecca Cordell

Rebecca Cordell is an Assistant Professor of Political Science. Her research focuses on international relations, human rights, and state repression. Rebecca’s work examines why countries cooperate in transnational repression, measuring human rights using machine learning and text analysis, and public opinion on human rights. She also works on the Sub-national Analysis of Repression Project (SNARP). Her research is published in American Journal of Political Science, International Interactions, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Human Rights, and Journal of Peace Research.

Courses Taught

PS 1581 Capstone Seminar International Relations: Human Rights
PS 1508 International Terrorism
PS 2751 Text As Data
PS 2501 International Relations Theory
PS 2502 International Institutions and Cooperation

Education & Training

PhD: University of Essex, 2017

Representative Publications

Rebecca Cordell. 2025. “ Unpacking the role of in-group bias in US public opinion on human rights violations.” American Journal of Political Science 1–20.
Rebecca Cordell and Kashmiri Medhi. 2024. Transnational Repression: International Cooperation in Silencing Dissent. International Studies Quarterly. 68(3): 1-14.
Florian G. Kern, Kristian Skrede Gleditsch and Rebecca Cordell. 2024. Judiciary Institutions and Violent Crime in American Indian Nations. Governance 37(1): 137-159.
Rebecca Cordell, Reed M. Wood and Thorin M. Wright. 2023. Disease and Dissent: Epidemics as a Catalyst for Social Unrest. Global Studies Quarterly. 3(2): 1-13.
Rebecca Cordell, K. Chad Clay, Christopher J. Fariss, Reed M. Wood and Thorin M. Wright. 2022. Disaggregating Repression: Identifying Physical Integrity Rights Allegations in Human Rights Reports. International Studies Quarterly. 66(2): 1-11.
Rebecca Cordell. 2021. The Political Costs of Abusing Human Rights: International Cooperation in Extraordinary Rendition. Journal of Conflict Resolution. 65(2-3): 255-282.
Rebecca Cordell, Thorin M. Wright and Paul F. Diehl. 2021. Extant Commitment, Risk, and UN Peacekeeping Authorization. International Interactions. 47(1): 135-160.
Rebecca Cordell, Kristian Skrede Gleditsch, Florian G. Kern and Laura M. Saavedra-Lux. 2020. Measuring Institutional Variation Across American Indian Constitutions Using Automated Content Analysis. Journal of Peace Research. 57(6): 777-788.
Rebecca Cordell, K. Chad Clay, Christopher J. Fariss, Reed M. Wood and Thorin M. Wright. 2020. Changing standards or political whim? Evaluating Changes in the Content of the US State Department Human Rights Reports following Presidential Transitions. Journal of Human Rights. 19(1): 3-18.
Rebecca Cordell. 2019. Security-Civil Liberties Trade-offs: International Cooperation in Extraordinary Rendition. International Interactions. 45(2): 369-400.
Rebecca Cordell. 2018. Measuring Extraordinary Rendition and International Cooperation: A Response to Blakeley and Raphael. International Area Studies Review. 21(2): 179-187.
Rebecca Cordell. 2017. Measuring Extraordinary Rendition and International Cooperation. International Area Studies Review. 20(2): 179-197. Rebecca Cordell and Kashmiri Medhi.