Report by Univ.-Prof. Jonas Bunte, Ph.D.

In early September, I attended the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA) in Vancouver, Canada—one of the key conferences in our discipline. I presented my paper “Bilateral Loans, Creditor Identity, and Tax Revenues,” co-authored with John Taden. In this project, we examine how the identity of a creditor—whether from the OECD or the BRIC group—shapes the tax policy responses of developing countries. Our findings show that OECD loans often lead to increases in income and profit taxes, while BRIC loans tend to result in greater trade tax revenues. The presentation sparked thoughtful engagement from both the discussant and the audience, and I received excellent feedback that I am now working to incorporate into the next version of the paper.

The conference also gave me the chance to catch up with my coauthor Patrick Bayer. Together, we made progress on our new project exploring how export credit provided by the U.S. EXIM Bank influences the environmental performance of recipient firms. We are especially interested in whether this kind of government-backed financing can push firms toward more sustainable practices, depending on sector and political context.

Another highlight of the trip was a productive preparatory meeting with Clint Peinhardt, who will join our Institute as a Fulbright Scholar in the spring semester. We used the opportunity to clarify which courses Clint will teach during his stay and to ensure that all the logistics for his arrival in Vienna are in place. I’m excited to welcome him to the IPE team—his expertise in political risk and bilateral investment treaties will be a valuable addition to our teaching portfolio.

Finally, as always, I made time to attend several panels on topics close to my research interests, including sessions on environmental policy and finance and sovereign lending. I continue to be impressed by the depth of work presented by colleagues from around the world. Even after many years of attending APSA, I come away inspired and humbled—I always learn something new.

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