Elizabeth Plantan

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Dr. Elizabeth Plantan's research and teaching interests encompass the global study of civil society, authoritarian regimes, and environmental politics, with a focus on the comparative and international politics of China and Russia.

  • Ph.D., Government, Cornell University
  • M.A., Russian & East European Studies, Indiana University - Bloomington
  • B.A., Wesleyan University

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Elizabeth Plantan

Biography

Dr. Elizabeth Plantan is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stetson University. Prior to joining the faculty at Stetson, she was a China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School from 2018-2020. Her current book project examines environmental activism in China and Russia. Dr. Plantan received her Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University. In addition, she holds an M.A. in Russian & East European Studies from Indiana University Bloomington and a B.A. in Government and Russian & East European Studies from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.

More About Elizabeth Plantan

Areas of Expertise

  • Comparative Politics
  • Authoritarianism
  • Environmental Activism
  • Russian & Chinese Politics
  • Civil Society & NGOs

Course Sampling

  • Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • Russian Politics
  • Chinese Politics
  • Environmental Politics

  • State-society relations in authoritarian regimes
  • Russian & Chinese domestic and international politics
  • Environmental activism
  • The politics of I/NGOs
  • Transnational advocacy networks

Selected Peer-Reviewed Articles & Chapters:
  • "A Tale of Two Laws: Managing Foreign Agents and Overseas NGOs in Russia and China." In Valerie J. Bunce, Karrie J. Koesel, and Jessica C. Weiss, eds., Citizens & the State in Authoritarian Regimes: Comparing Russia & China. Oxford University Press. 2020.
  • "Mass Mobilization in China and Russia: From Unexpected Victories to Unintended Consequences," Russian Politics, 3(4). 2018.
  • "Protecting Cultural Heritage: Unexpected Successes for Environmental Movements in China and Russia." In Carol Hager and Mary Alice Haddad, eds., NIMBY is Beautiful: Cases of Local Activism and Environmental Innovation Around the World. NY: Berghahn Books. 2015.

Related Non-Academic Publications:

  • "Comparing Recent NGO Laws in Russia and China: Do Russia's Laws Foreshadow China's Future?" ChinaFile: The China NGO Project. 10 August 2017.
  • "Putin Joins the Climate Change Deniers." (with Peter Rutland) Transitions Online. 18 April 2017.
  • "Rising Temperatures." The New York Times. 12 September 2012. Appeared in print in: The International Herald Tribune. 13 September 2012. Page 6.