Alex Zhao

My research examines how sovereignty shapes Indigenous political behavior, governance, and institutions. I am especially interested in how Indigenous citizens, governments, and communities navigate relationships among sovereign Indigenous Nations and federal, state, and local governments. My current work maps the political geography of Diné Bikéyah (the Navajo Nation) and examines how elections, representation, and governance are shaped by citizenship in both the United States and sovereign Indigenous Nations.

More broadly, my research examines civic health and democratic engagement, including how federalism, election timing, and other political institutions shape participation and representation. I use quantitative, computational, archival, and community-engaged methods to study these questions.

I received my Ph.D. in Political Science with a specialization in Computational Social Science from the University of California San Diego. Before joining UW, I worked on research and public policy projects with the Office of the Navajo Nation President, the Office of Navajo Government Development, and the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research. My doctoral research was supported by a Ford Predoctoral Fellowship from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.