His research focuses on ethnic and religious conflict, economic development, and informal political institutions in Africa. He has published articles on these topics in the American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Political Psychology, and Political Science Research and Methods, among others. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Bradley Foundation. He has conducted field research in Burkina Faso, Chad, C te d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Niger, and Nigeria.