Dr Adam Harris
- Biography
I am an Associate Professor (starting October 2020) in Development Politics. Prior to joining UCL, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Governance and Local Development (GLD) program at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2015-2017); I am currently a member of the GLD Steering Committee. I received my PhD in Political Science from the Wilf Family Department of Politics at New York University (NYU; 2015). I study ethnic, race, development, and African politics with a focus on political participation using experimental and survey methods.
- Research
Dr. Harris’ research investigates and seeking to challenge the dominant narratives around ethnic voting by investigating how those of mixed ethnic heritage vote, why some members of a group do not toe the group line, and challenging the assumptions that underline our theories of ethnic voting. He also investigate aid effectiveness and the resource curse. He have conducted research on South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, and Kenya as well as cross-national analysis. His work has been published in Comparative Political Studies, World Development, International Organization, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Development Policy Review, and Politikon.
- Publications
- Forthcoming. Electoral Preferences Among Multiethnic Voters in Africa” With Boniface Dulani, Jeremy Horowitz, and Happy Kayuni. Comparative Political Studies.
- 2020 “Oiling the Bureaucracy? Political Spending, Bureaucrats and the Resource Curse.”With Rachel Sigman, Jan-Hinrik Meyer-Sahling, Christian Schuster, and Kim Mikkelson.World Development127(March): 104745.
- 2020 “At the Borders of Identity: Identity Construction and Racial Bloc Voting.” Journalof Race, Ethnicity, and Politics5(2): 326-355.
- 2019 “Taking to the Streets: Protest as an Expression of Political Preference in Africa.”With Erin Hern.Comparative Political Studies52(8): 1169-1199.
- 2017 “Who Controls Foreign Aid? Elite versus Public Perceptions of Donor Influencein Aid-Dependent Uganda.” With Michael G. Findley, Helen V. Milner, and Daniel L.Nielson.International Organization71 (Fall): 633-663.
- Teaching
I teach International Development and Public Policy, Political Economy of Development, and Identity Politics. I have supervised students on projects focused on political behaviour, African politics, ethnic and racial politics, aid effectiveness, Chinese aid and involvement in Africa, and local governance and development.