Welcome! I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Technical University of Munich. Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Princeton University’s Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance. I earned my PhD in Political Science from UCLA. My research interests are in International and Comparative Political Economy. My methodological interests include the application and development of Causal Inference, Machine Learning, Bayesian techniques, NLP, and Time Series.

My research examines (1) how transnational commercial actors utilize national courts to hold sovereign states accountable for breaking commercial agreements, as well as the domestic consequences of these judicial rulings, and (2) the politics underlying states’ strategic choices of borrowing and default.

Currently, I am working on my book project, an extension of my dissertation titled Domesticating the International: The Uneven Enforcement of Investors’ Preferences and its Unintended Consequences. It examines when US courts choose to extend the reach of US private property rights via the application of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and the economic consequences, if any, for the debtor state. Additionally, I am developing papers on green finance, focusing on how governments and global institutions are financing efforts to combat climate change.

In my free time, I foster, train, and rehome street dogs. I also enjoy horseback riding, with a focus on dressage and hunter/jumpers.

You may contact me at: mwidmann@ucla.edu