About 

I am an Associate (as of July 2024) Professor of Political Science at Amherst College, where I run the IRLab @Amherst College

I tweet (or I x, whatever it is now)  @ProfEMattiacci. And I host interviews with book authors on the New Books Network.

My book, Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press), explores how power and interests combine to stir states toward inconsistent behavior, leading them to unpredictably shift toward more cooperation or conflict. Leveraging time series analysis, text analysis, and archival research, the book offers an in-depth account of why countries' treacherous foreign policies have often harmless origins, what this means for international politics, and what to do about it.

My research has been published in outlets such as British Journal of Political Science, International Interactions, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Peace Research, and Perspectives on Politics. My commentary has appeared on New Security Beat, Duck of Minerva, and The Conversation.

I am working on several projects on the use and consequences of scorched earth techniques.

I hold a PhD in Political Science from The Ohio State University and a Laurea Triennale and Magistrale from Università degli Studi di Bologna (at Forlì).  Previously, I was the Karl Loewenstein Fellow at Amherst College.