He earned a PhD in political science from Columbia University. His research focuses on Africa, with particular emphasis on electoral decision-making, ethnic politics, and the media. His work has appeared in a number of peer-reviewed journals, including African Affairs, the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Electoral Studies, the Journal of Modern African Studies, the Journal of Politics, and Political Research Quarterly, as well as in several edited volumes. He served as a sub-Saharan Africa adviser for Freedom of the Press.