Casey Buchholz

Casey Buchholz, Ph.D. Candidate

Hello! I am Casey, a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

I study economic history and political economy. My research is animated by understanding the potential for interracial solidarity in the United States. 

My dissertation research revolves around a case study of Greenbackism -- a nation-wide third-party movement of the mid-1870s that agitated for monetary and financial reform. In my dissertation, I analyze the interracial coalition-building efforts of the Greenback party in Texas. I find black and white Texans joined ranks to take part in one of the largest social movements of the era against racist and elite-driven opposition. Then, I leverage my findings to critically engage cutting-edge theory within the economics of race and racism which implies interracial coalitions are impossilble -- stratification economics' theory of intergroup competition. 

Moving forward, I see many opportunities for future research. 

1. I am motivated to continue studying the political economy of race and social movements, both expanding my research on the postbellum South and broadening my agenda beyond it. 

2. I also see opportunity to contribute to the reinterpretation of the economic history of the postbellum South, investigating the reasons for the increasing commercialization of agriculture during the time period. I will focus on how changes in state policy, finance, and transportation affected the production decision of agriculturalists.

3. My research interests also extend to contemporary issues. For example, a direct extension of my dissertation research concerns contemporary monetary conflicts such as crypto and post-Covid inflation. I am also interested the political economy of race in the contemporary US with respect to mass incarceration and right-wing populism.

At UMass Amherst, I accumulated a wealth of teaching experience. As the primary instructor, I taught online courses in Introduction to Macroeconomics. As a Teaching Assistant, I taught Introduction to Macroeconomics, Introduction to Microeconomics, and Intermediate Microeconomics. 

When I am not researching or teaching, I enjoy outdoor activities, travel, and supporting Liverpool Football Club. 

Contact

Email: cbuchholz@umass.edu 

Twitter/X: @casey_buchh