Faculty Profiles

Timothy Taylor is a professor of politics and international relations at Wheaton College, where he enjoys teaching classes that range from International Political Economy to East Asian Politics. His research, which includes the effects of foreign trade agreements upon national elections, has been published in both academic journals, as well as outlets such as Christianity Today and The Huffington Post. Taylor was awarded the Rothchild Memorial Research Award, and in 2015, was appointed as a fellow at Ateneo de Manila University’s Center for Asian Studies. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, where he was a Bilinski Fellow from 2015-2016. After living and traveling abroad, Taylor and his wife now reside in Wheaton, IL with their four children. If he had spare time, he would enjoy fishing, hiking, and exploring the outdoors.

University of California, Davis
Ph.D., Political Science, 2016

University of California, Davis
M.A., Political Science, 2013

Taylor University
B.S., Social Science Education, 2007

• Comparative Politics
• International Political Economy
• International Relations

• IR 155 Comparative Politics
• IR 301 War and Cinema
• IR 347 East Asian Politics
• IR 356 European Politics
• IR 375 Globalization in Selected Regions (with ISP program)
• IR 379 International Political Economy
• IR 494 IR Senior Capstone
• ECON 394 Comparative Economic Systems
• PPE 201 Introduction to Political Economy
• PSCI 361 Political Research

Predatory Lending and the Need for a Healthy Financial Ecosystem
Center for Public Justice (with Anna Cole)
“It all started with a flyer advertising “Cash Today!”. Dave, a young, divorced father of two, just needed $200 to get extra groceries because it was his weekend with the children. He was working full-time as a sales representative, but an unexpected car repair had recently drained his savings account…” view more

Why Your Vote Matters, in Visions for Public Life
American Enterprise Institute (with Bryan McGraw)
“One striking feature about the 2016 presidential race was the revelation for many that voting is not an especially simple act. It seems like it should be simple: figure out which candidate or party best fits your political views and vote accordingly.” view more

Reframing the Safety Net: Improving Refugees’ Access to WIC 
Center for Public Justice (with Emily Miller)
“The social safety net and refugee resettlement are two of the most politicized and debated issues in the United States today. Yet many have never considered the interaction between the two issues or the extent to which the social safety net meets the needs of refugees resettled in the United States. What programs are designed to care for refugees in their first few years of resettlement in the United States?” view more

Red Bull, Robin Hood, and the Republican Tax Bill: Two Moderates’ Perspective on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Huffington Post (with Enoch Hill)
“Neither of us being particularly partisan, we offer our insights based on what we know about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (also known as the GOP tax plan). With Congress bringing the most sweeping changes to the tax code since 1986, we want to give the tax bill a fair review. While we applaud simplifying the overly complicated American tax structure…” view more

What Ever Happened to the Left-Right Divide on Foreign Trade?
Providence Magazine
“They agreed. At least on the single issue of foreign trade, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton agreed the United States must retreat from free trade agreements. In the midst of the most polarized presidential election in living memory, both major party candidates converged on the need to reconsider American-led globalization…” view more

Should Have Seen It Coming: Nationalism’s Canary in the Coal Mine
Providence Magazine
“It began in India. The wave of nationalism that has swept recent elections throughout the world first manifested in India’s 2014 general election. The canary’s song was silenced as it choked in the coal mine of national discontent. But at that critical moment we were too focused upon the peculiarities of India and pontificating…” view more

However You Vote, Do It with Joy: A Christian Approach to Politics Frees Us from Duty or Strategy
Christianity Today (with Joel Landis)
“This presidential election serves as an invitation for Christians to reconsider the grounds of our political participation. At no other time in memory have both major party candidates been so unfavorable. As surveys indicate, many voters will go to the polls, not to vote for a candidate, but to vote against a candidate.” view more

The Hidden Economic Opportunities of Brexit
Providence Magazine
“We have been led to believe Brexit is leading the United Kingdom toward the precipice of economic self-destruction in a game of blind man’s bluff with drastic consequences for the international economy. But little is made of the economic benefits awaiting Britain in its separation from the EU. In one referendum…” view more

Professor Taylor's main areas of research are in international political economy with a specialization in how domestic political institutions affect foreign trade policy.

Works in Progress

• "Two of a Kind: Labor-to-Capital Ratios and the Salience of Trade Policy." Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association (April 17, 2015), Chicago, Illinois.
• “When Foreign Trade Matters: The Salience of Foreign Trade Proposals in the U.S. Congress, 1997-2012.” Presented at the Midwest Political Science Association (April 6, 2014) and the American Political Science Association (August 29, 2014).
• "Foreign Aid and Civic Engagement: Experimental Evidence from the Philippines and United States," with Gabriella R. Montinola. Presented at the American Political Science Association (September 3, 2015), San Francisco.
• “Gambling for Gains: Electoral Vulnerability and International Conflict.” Presented at the Southern California Comparative Political Institutions conference (May 3, 2013), University of California, Riverside.
• "When Regimes Negotiate: Democracy and Making Complicated Trade Agreements," with Heather Elko McKibben.

“Electoral Regimes and the Politicization of Foreign Trade in National Elections.” The British Journal of Politics and International Relations. 2021. view more

“Foreign Aid, Government Spending, and Voluntary Contributions toward Public Goods: Experimental Evidence from the Philippines.” Studies in Comparative International Development. 2020. With Gabriella R. Montinola and Gerardo L. Largoza. view more

“Trade Balance and Policy Complexity: Explaining Political Elites' Focus on International Trade at the Domestic Level.” International Interactions. 2020. With Heather Elko McKibben. view more 

“Voluntary International Migration,” in Oxford Bibliographies in International Relations. 2019. With Jeannette Money and Sara S. Kazemian. view more

“The Impact of Mandatory Arrest Laws on Domestic Violence in Times of Economic Stress.” Economics Letters. 2019. With Jeremy A. Cook. view more

"The Electoral Salience of Trade Policy: Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Welfare and Complexity." International Interactions. 2015. view more