Shaarif Sameer

About me

I am a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Utah, where I expect to receive my PhD in July 2026. My research lies at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations, with a focus on authoritarian politics and international security.

My work examines how authoritarian regimes navigate both domestic and international pressures, with a particular focus on alignment strategies, great-power patronage, and regime survival. Substantively, I focus on South Asia, combining regional expertise with broader theories of authoritarianism and international politics. 

Specifically, I examine when and why authoritarian regimes align with great powers, and when this support helps them stay in power.  My job market paper, "Authoritarian Alignment: Domestic Threats and the Search for External Patronage", currently under review at the Journal of Peace Research, argues that distinct types of domestic threats - mass mobilization, internal conflicts, and elite-level challenges - shape both the likelihood and direction of alignment, as well as its downstream consequences for regime survival.

I adopt a multi-method approach in my research, combining original fieldwork, including archival research and elite interviews, with large-N empirical analyses.

My research has been generously supported by the Smith Richardson Foundation's World Politics and Statecraft Fellowship and the Graduate Research Fellowship.

Please feel free to reach me at shaarif.sameer@utah.edu.