Research
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Bad Apples: Political Paralysis and the Quality of Politicians
Abstract: Why do elected officials often suffer from political paralysis and fail to implement the best policies available? This paper considers a new and intuitive explanation that focuses on the quality of the politicians competing for office. T...
Publication · December 04, 2025
Strategic Redistribution: The Political Economy of Populism in Latin America
Abstract: Why do some countries in Latin America redistribute too much (“left-wing populism”), while others allow high levels of inequality to persist or even increase over time (“neo-liberalism”)? We argue that when a group's political influence ...
Publication · December 04, 2025
Loyalty for Sale? Military Spending and Coups d'Etat
Abstract: Coups d’etat continue to be common around the world, often leading to changes in leaders and institutions. We examine the relationship between military spending and coups and find that (i) successful coups increase military spending by m...
Publication · December 04, 2025
The Democratic Window of Opportunity: Evidence from Riots in Sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract: We show that drought-induced changes in the intensity of riots lead to moves toward democracy in sub-Saharan Africa and that these changes are often a result of concessions made as a result of the riots. This provides evidence that low-i...
Publication · December 04, 2025
The Coup: Competition for Office in Authoritarian Regimes
Abstract: Coups, understood as attempts to overthrow the sitting executive government by a group inside the state apparatus that includes part of the military, shape competition for office in authoritarian regimes. They do that both directly throu...
Publication · December 04, 2025
Feudalism, Collaboration and Path Dependence in England’s Political Development
Abstract: This article presents a formal model of path dependence inspired by England’s history. The introduction of feudalism after the Norman Conquest – the critical juncture – created a large elite that rebelled frequently. The king fought thes...
Publication · December 04, 2025
The Social Dynamics of Collective Action: Evidence from the Diffusion of the Swing Riots, 1830–1831
Abstract: Social unrest often begins suddenly and spreads quickly. What is the information that drives its diffusion? How is this information transmitted? And who responds to this information? We present a general framework that emphasizes three a...
Publication · December 04, 2025
The Interaction of Structural Factors and Diffusion in Social Unrest: Evidence from the Swing Riots
Abstract: Studies of the causes of social unrest typically focus on structural factors or diffusion. This article demonstrates the importance of considering their interaction and reveals a complex interplay between the two. This interaction is exa...
Publication · December 04, 2025
Gentrification and Social Unrest: The Blitz, Urban Change and the 2011 London Riots
Abstract: Many of the world’s major cities have recently seen large episodes of social unrest. What is the relationship between the changes these cities have experienced, particularly in the form of gentrification, and urban riots? We address this...
Publication · December 04, 2025
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