International Political Economy
Distributive Politics, Corruption, Democratization, International Organizations, Migration, Artificial Intelligence, Post-socialist Politics, and Formal & Empirical Methods

​BOOK MANUSCRIPTS

 “Buying Survival: Corruption , Redistribution, and Electoral Power in Europe "

Corruption becomes visible, voters express dissatisfaction, yet incumbents often remain in power. This book explains why. It develops a theory of Corruption Compensation, a process through which incumbents respond to electoral risk by redirecting public resources toward politically vulnerable constituencies. This targeted redistribution reduces electoral punishment and stabilizes political support. The argument is tested using original subnational evidence from Albania and Estonia and extended through cross-national analysis of European Union member states. The findings show that distributive politics operates as a response to corruption exposure and that supranational resources, especially European Union funds, expand the capacity of incumbents to sustain political advantage. By linking corruption, redistribution, and electoral competition, the book offers a unified account of political survival under conditions of weak accountability.
 “Under Pressure:  International Organizations in the Age of Migration”
with Merih Angin ​​and​ Adrian J. Shin
Columbia University Press (under review)
​​​Why do international organizations (IOs) favor some countries over others? Previous research has primarily focused on the strategic and special interests of donor states to explain why some countries receive better deals from international organizations. In this project, we highlight migration pressure from the developing world as an important factor that enters into the decision-making calculus of major IO shareholders. Focusing on the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the European Union, we show that countries that pose substantial migration pressure to major donor states of these organizations receive preferential treatment, including larger financial packages and less stringent loan conditions. In addition, we compare and contrast the organizations’ strategies in governing international migration. Using in-depth case studies and novel datasets on loans, conditionality, and fiscal transfers, we demonstrate the important role of international migration in shaping some of the most critical decisions made by the world’s most powerful international organizations. ​​

​ SELECTED  PUBLICATIONS​

Shehaj, Albana. "Backsliding in a Landslide: How EU's Fiscal Distributions Empower Corrupt Governments." European Journal of Risk Regulation, 2026. First View. [scientific article]
Merih Angin, Albana Shehaj, and Adrian J. Shin.  "IMF: International Migration Fund." International Interactions, 2023. 49:1, 86-113. [scientific article]​​
Shehaj, Albana​. "Revolutionized Learning: Education Policy and Digital Reform in the Eurozone." European Policy Analysis, 2022. [scientific article] 
Shehaj, Albana. "Prejudice and Price: Corruption and Distributive Politics."  CES Open Forum Series, Harvard University, 2021 [scientific article] 
Merih Angin, Albana Shehaj, and Adrian J. Shin.  "Inside Job: Migration and Distributive Politics in the European Union."  Economics and Politics, 2021.   33(2):315–342. [Replication] [scientific article]
Shehaj, Albana​. "The Perils of Succor: The European Union's Financial Role in the Western Balkans during  COVID-19." European Policy Analysis, 2020.  6(2):264-276  [scientific article] 
Albana Shehaj, Adrian J. Shin, and Ronald F. Inglehart.  "Immigration and Right-Wing Populism: An Origin Story.''  Party Politics, 2021. 27(2):282–293. [Replication] [scientific article]

​ARTICLES UNDER REVIEW​​

​1. Political Systems: A re-examination of Easton's Analysis  (with Jon Miller and Ragnhild Nordaas)  
2. Into the Woods: Migration and the Bretton Woods Institutions (with Merih Angin and Adrian J. Shin)
​

SELECTED  OP-EDs AND OUTREACH

Shehaj, Albana, 2025. "Let the Western Balkans in -- or Lose Them." European Voices. February.
Shehaj, Albana, and Valbona Zeneli. 2024. "A Crisis of Opportunity: Addressing the Root Causes of Emigration in the Western Balkans." Modern Diplomacy. February 7. 
Shehaj, Albana. 2020. "Investing in FDI: How and Why do the Western Balkans Differ?" Center for European Studies, Harvard University. February 11. 
Shehaj, Albana. 2020.  "After the Pandemic: Perils and Promise for Western Balkans.''  BalkanInsight.  April 20. 
Shehaj, Albana. 2019. "Strengthening electoral accountability is crucial in tackling corruption in the Western Balkans.'' Centre for the Study of Corruption.  University of Sussex. November 8.
Shehaj, Albana. 2015.  "How is a European identity significant to the future of the European Union." openDemocracy. May 31.