Political Science PhD Candidate

Wali Reheman

šŸ« Department of Government @ American University

PhD Candidate in Political Science | American University

I study how state-led secularization shapes religious identity, political behavior, and long-run backlash.

Religion and politics Ethnic identity Public opinion Political behavior
Research Teaching CV
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Selected Work

Research

Job Market Paper

State vs. Faith: State-led Secularization, Political Backlash and Political Islamism among Muslims

How coercive secularization policies can strengthen religious identity and trigger long-run political backlash.

Research details
Working Paper

Exploring Institutional Explanations for Ingroup Support for Ethnic Parties

Institutional effects on in-group support for ethnic parties using ecological inference and survey data.

Research details
Working Paper

Seeking the American Dream: Immigrants' Belief in Meritocracy across Generations

How beliefs about opportunity evolve across immigrant generations in the United States.

Research details

Overview

At a Glance

  • Adjunct Instructor and PhD Candidate in Political Science at American University.
  • Dissertation project: State vs. Faith (three-paper framework).
  • Substantive areas: religion and politics, ethnic identity, public opinion, and political behavior.

Ongoing Projects

Current Collaborations

  • With David Lublin: institutions and ethnic-party support.
  • With Elizabeth Suhay: meritocratic values across immigrant generations.
  • With Sharan Grewal: radical-right effects on Muslim minority opinion in Europe.

News

Sep 13, 2025 Conference: ā€œState vs. Faith: State-Led Secularization, Religious Backlash and Political Islamismā€ (APSA 2025)
Dec 11, 2024 Workshop: State Islam in the Middle East, hosted by SEPAD šŸ“Lancaster,UK
Apr 07, 2024 Working Paper: ā€œState vs. Faith: Effect of Interplay between State and Religious Institution on Regime Preferenceā€ (Presented at MPSA 2024, WPSA 2024)