Kara Reynolds

Kara Reynolds is Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at American University. Her research examines the political economy of trade policy, focusing on trade protection mechanisms, WTO dispute settlement, and distributional impacts of trade wars.

Education: PhD in Economics (University of Virginia, 2004), MA in Economics (Virginia, 2000), BA in International Studies (American University, 1994).

Research addresses three primary areas: (1) Political economy of trade remedies (antidumping, safeguards); (2) WTO dispute settlement effectiveness; and (3) Distributional impacts of trade wars. Recent work quantifies the regressive nature of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, showing lowest-income households bear disproportionate burdens.

Awards include the Harry Johnson Prize for best article in the Canadian Journal of Economics (2007) for work on rent-seeking in trade policy. Current projects analyze populist rhetoric's impact on trade preferences and retaliation patterns in trade conflicts.

As department chair, Reynolds oversees graduate programs and teaches courses in microeconomics, international trade, and economic communication.