Lecturer/Assistant Professor

School of Political Science and International Studies​

University of Queensland

Michael A. Gavin

I am a Lecturer/Assistant Professor at the School of Political Science & International Studies at the University of Queensland.

I research the politics of IMF lending and central banking, both in emerging and developing economies and historically. Why are national central banks pillars financial stability while the IMF remains a chastened institution? Why are populist leaders more likely to pressure their independent central bank? And do their pressure tactics succeed (hint: yes)? Why were the first central banks founded and does it have anything to do with war (hint: mostly no)?

I have published in Comparative Political Studies (also here), International Studies Quarterly, The Review of International Organizations, and ​​Environmental and Resource Economics. My research has also appeared in Bloomberg (paywalled, sorry).

My research uses formal modelling, original datasets, quantitative methods, qualitative field work, and case study analysis.

My UQ profile is here.