The Languages Across Cultures lab (PI: Leah Windsor) examines language in opaque political environments such as dictatorships and within terrorist groups. The LAC lab is driven by the question, how does what we say reveal who we are? We use computational linguistics tools to investigate how actors (individuals, groups, political leaders) use language strategically to accomplish bluffing and credible threats, and how language signals changes within countries and in the international system. Language can help us understand latent social and political processes, and can serve as a leading indicator for changes within groups, organizations, regimes, and societies.