Joseph J. Ruggiero

I am an assistant professor in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia, where I work on topics in formal theory, international conflict, and political economy. I received my Ph.D. from Princeton University in 2024 and was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University.

Publications

• 1. “Competitive Diplomacy in Bargaining and War.” American Journal of Political Science, 70(3), 1164-1180, 2026.




• 2. “Preventive War and Sovereign Debt” with Colin Krainin, Kristopher W. Ramsay, and Bella Wang. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 39(5), 487-519, 2022.

Working papers

• 1. “Diversionary Escalation: Theory and Evidence from Eastern Ukraine” with Natalie Ayers, Christopher Blair, Austin Wright, and Konstantin Sonin.

  Revise and resubmit, American Political Science Review.




• 2. “Crisis Bargaining Over What?”




• 3. “Propping Up Allies With Uncertain Prospects” with Kristopher W. Ramsay.




• 4. “What Makes a World War? A Structural Analysis.”

  •   — Best APSA Paper, APSA Formal Theory Section
  •   — Best Graduate Student Paper, Formal Models of Conflict Conference

Work in progress

• “Bargaining and Hierarchy.”




• “Battlefield Information Manipulation: The Ukrainian Frontlines” with Christopher Blair.




• “Public Good, Private Gain: The Revolving Door in Defense Procurement” with Zuheir Desai and Maria Silfa.




• “Social Structure in Large Elections” with Perry Carter.