At the Comparative Political Regimes (CPR) Lab, we investigate regimes and regime transformation from a comparative perspective. Our approach is pluralist. We draw on the Episodes of Regime Transformation (ERT) dataset to identify and analyze regime resilience and breakdown, combining large-N analysis with in-depth case knowledge.
Our current projects focus on explaining authoritarian and democratic resilience in the 20th and 21st centuries. What strategies do authoritarian regimes use to ensure their survival? How have authoritarian regimes adapted to changing global norms? Furthermore, when authoritarianism threatens democracy, why do some democratic regimes survive while others fail? Why do some democracies never experience authoritarian threats from within? These are some of the questions we engage with at the CPR lab.
Current Members
Chris Akor is a PhD student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alabama. He holds a Masters in African Studies from the University of Oxford. He has worked in various research, knowledge, and media roles in the past 10 years. The last of such roles was as Opinion Editor/Ag Chairman, Editorial Board of BusinessDay Nigeria. He is also a political analyst and a weekly columnist for BusinessDay where he discusses Nigerian and African political, social and economic situations. His current academic research focuses on the effects of regime personalization
Myles Williamson is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alabama. He also holds a Masters in Political Science from the University of Alabama. His dissertation focuses on explaining variation in transgender policies worldwide. He is the principal investigator for the Transgender Rights Indicator Project (TRIP).
Matthew C. Wilson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of South Carolina and a Research Fellow at the V-Dem Institute. He is interested in the interactions of autocratic leaders and institutions, particularly with regard to regime change and conflict outcomes. As a comparativist scholar, he has a special interest in the politics of Latin America and historical development.
Amanda B. Edgell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alabama and a Research Fellow for the V-Dem Institute. Her research focuses on the politics of authoritarianism and regime transformation. Her work addresses questions about how domestic institutions and actors interact with international concerns to shape the behavior of regimes.
Amanda B. Edgell 