Jeongho Choi

Hi, I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at The University of Iowa, with plans to defend my dissertation in the spring of 2025. My research focuses on comparative politics, public opinion, and political behavior, particularly exploring populism, political representation, public support for democracy, and democratic backsliding. Methodologically, I utilize various quantitative methods, including multilevel modeling, computational text analysis, and machine learning. My research has been published in several journals, including Democratization, International Migration Review and Social Science Quarterly.

My dissertation investigates how issue-congruence between the public and political parties influences public support for populism in different regions. I argue that public support for populism is a response to discontent with contemporary democratic systems. I also examine how individuals’ diverse perceptions of democracy moderate their susceptibility to populist appeals, given that populism claims to restore “true” democracy.

I serve on the Steering Committee of the Young Scholars Initiative on Populism (OPUS), a division within the international research network in populism studies, Team Populism. I hold both an M.A. (Awarded Excellent Master thesis) and a B.A. (Graduated with High Distinction) in Political Science from Kyung Hee University, South Korea.

My CV can be found here.