Bio
Scott Cooper graduated from BYU with majors in Russian and International Relations. He earned a PhD in Political Science from Duke University and he has taught at BYU since 1999.
His research is in the field of International Relations and especially International Political Economy. Most of his research focuses on economic and security cooperation, including regional currencies such as the euro and franc zone and alliances such as NATO. This has led him to study regional institutions all over the world, including Western and Eastern Europe, Central America, anglophone and francophone Africa, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia. His current research projects include the following topics:
- Imagery used on national currencies in Turkey and the post-Soviet states.
- How economic interdependence affects Ukrainians' attitudes about the war with Russia.
- Security strategies in the Baltic states.
He is the faculty advisor for Sigma, BYU's undergraduate student journal for Political Science and International Relations.
Courses Taught Regularly
Poli 170/270: Introduction to International Relations
Poli 347: Politics of Former Soviet States
Poli 372: International Political Economy
Poli 376: U.S. Foreign Policy
Poli 470: Research Seminar: States and Currencies
Selected Publications
"Who Commits the Most to NATO? It Depends on How We Measure Commitment,” with Ken Stiles, Journal of Peace Research 58, no. 6 (November 2021): 1194-1206
“Currency Unions in the Developing World,” in Handbook of the International Political Economy of Monetary Relations, eds. Thomas Oatley and W. Kindred Winecoff, pp. 224-40, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham, UK (2014)
“Yielding Sovereignty to International Institutions: Bringing System Structure Back In,” with Darren Hawkins, Wade Jacoby, and Daniel Nielson, International Studies Review 10, no. 3 (September 2008): 501-24
“Monetary Blocs on the Periphery: Small State Choice or Great Power Hegemony?” Commonwealth & Comparative Politics 46, no. 1 (February 2008): 29-53
“Why Doesn’t Regional Monetary Cooperation Follow Trade Cooperation?” Review of International Political Economy 14, no. 4 (October 2007): 626-52
“The Limits of Monetary Power: Statecraft Within Currency Areas,” in International Monetary Power,ed. David Andrews, pp. 162-83, Cornell University Press: Ithaca, NY (2006)
“State-Centric Balance-of-Threat Theory: Explaining the Misunderstood Gulf Cooperation Council,” Security Studies 13, no. 2 (Winter 2003/2004): 306-49
Selected Awards:
Alcuin Fellowship, BYU Undergraduate Education, 2014-16
Professor of the Year, Pi Sigma Alpha – BYU Chapter, 2006-7, 2012-13
Jean Monnet Fellowship, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Florence, Italy, 2003-4