Susan Kang

Susan Kang serves as Associate Professor of Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice within the City University of New York system. Her scholarly profile centers on the critical intersections of international political economy, human rights law, and labor movements, with particular expertise in how civil society actors leverage international frameworks to challenge state inaction on economic and social rights. Her research consistently examines transnational solidarity mechanisms and the evolving possibilities for progressive politics in contemporary democracies.

Her academic foundation includes:

• BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• PhD from the University of Minnesota

Professor Kang's research program investigates how trade unions and social movements navigate global governance structures to advance labor rights and economic justice. Her scholarship reveals how international human rights mechanisms become strategic resources for domestic advocacy, particularly in contexts of democratic backsliding and neoliberal policy constraints. She maintains a distinctive focus on the United States within global comparative frameworks, analyzing how American political institutions respond to transnational human rights pressures while exploring pathways for socialist and redistributive politics in post-Cold War contexts.

Her recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate remarkable thematic continuity while engaging emergent global crises. Works on climate governance challenge liberal democratic frameworks, pandemic analyses explore left-wing political opportunities, and authoritarianism studies document constitutional erosion patterns. Collectively, these publications reveal her signature approach: examining how international legal norms interact with domestic power structures to either constrain or enable progressive social change, with consistent attention to labor movements as key agents of transformation.

Professor Kang contributes significantly to academic discourse as editor of Global Constitutionalism (Cambridge University Press) and through extensive media engagement on New York politics, labor issues, and human rights. Her public commentary in outlets like the New York Times and CBS Local reflects her commitment to translating scholarly insights into contemporary political debates.