How do regimes work? How do they shape societies? And how do societies shape them in turn?
Image credit: Andrew Leber
About
I am Assistant Professor of Political Science at Colorado College. I received my Ph.D. in political science, with a specialization in comparative politics, from the University of Chicago. My research focuses on regimes: how they reproduce themselves, how they change, how they relate to states, and how they shape—and are shaped by—citizens’ choices. My book, Shouting in a Cage: Political Life after Authoritarian Co-optation in North Africa, will be published as part of Columbia University Press’ Studies in Middle East Politics series in 2023.
“Durable authoritarian rule often rests on the cooptation of challengers. The conventional story is straightforward: rulers entice opposition groups to ‘sell out,’ offering them benefits if they set aside their anti-authoritarian aspirations and become part of the system. However, cooptation does not always neutralize former adversaries and even seemingly domesticated opponents can turn on their rulers. Cooptation does weaken opposition—but it is not as simple, reliable, or transactional as is often claimed.”
— Shouting in a Cage
Image credit: Andrew Leber
Teaching
I teach courses on comparison, authoritarianism, narrative, religion, and the political trajectories of various countries, including Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan. As an instructor, I aim to engage diverse students in diverse ways, incorporating self-reflection, creativity, and emotion into the study of politics.
More details and teaching resources.
Image credit: Andrew Leber
Other Research
I published Coercive Distribution, an overview and critique of the literature on authoritarian distribution, with Michael Albertus and Dan Slater in 2017.
My current work focuses on (1) the politics of language and narrative in Morocco and Egypt and (2) the ideational and political trajectories of Arab Communist parties.