I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Emory University. I am also an associate editor at the Quarterly Journal of Political Science and serve on the editorial boards for the American Political Science Review and Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy. Recent publications appear in ​Cambridge University Press, American Journal of Political Science, American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Politics, Journal of Theoretical Politics, Quarterly Journal of Political Science, and ​World Politics. ​I teach courses on authoritarian politics and democratization, principles of political science, and applied game theory.​​​

Why are some countries governed by narrow autocracies, others by broader power-sharing arrangements, and yet others are democratic? Why do some regimes survive for long periods whereas others die shortly after their birth? Why does armed conflict plague some regimes but not others, and what are the consequences for regime survival? My research studies these questions by examining the strategic and historical contributors to these outcomes. One research project uses formal-theoretic models to examine general problems of authoritarian governance that stem from strategies of “carrots” (the power-sharing dilemma) and “sticks” (the guardianship dilemma). A second broad project studies the colonial origins of modern political institutions, including elections and democracy, state and border formation, and indirect rule. This project focuses primarily but not exclusively on colonial and postcolonial Africa. A third project examines how authoritarian regimes form, examining the differences among rebel, coup, decolonization, and incumbent takeovers against democracy. This research agenda also contributes to understanding processes of democratic backsliding.​