I teach and do research on comparative politics. I received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego, in 1994. I came to Dartmouth in 2003. Before that, I taught at the Universidad Católica de Chile, the University of Rochester, Washington University in St. Louis, and at Harvard. I have also taught at the Fundación Juan March in Madrid, Spain.
I specialize in the study of constitutions, legislatures, elections, and Latin American politics. I’ve published the following books:
- Presidents and Assemblies: Constitutional Design and Electoral Dynamics (1992)
- Term Limits and Legislative Representation (1996)
- Executive Decree Authority (1998)
- Term Limits in the State Legislatures (2000)
- Legislative Voting & Accountability (2009)
as well as lots of academic journal articles, book chapters, and assorted commentaries.
Lately, I’m particularly interested in the design of new democratic institutions in Arab Spring countries and throughout the Middle East. I’ve done consulting and some research on these issues in Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
I also do some administrative stuff, both here at Dartmouth and outside, including:
- Chair, Dartmouth Department of Government 2009-present
- Co-Editor, Legislative Studies Quarterly, 2009-2012
- Program Co-Chair, American Political Science Association Annual Meetings, 2012
In 2012, I was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
For more on the courses I teach, my research, data, and some trips, click on the links in the navigation menu at the top of this page. Click here for a full curriculum vitae.