Rasheed Ibrahim

Biography

I am currently a PhD candidate in the Political Science program at the University of Notre Dame and a fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. My research areas include comparative politics, African politics, international relations of Africa and political methodology. My dissertation project lies at the intersection of Comparative Political Behavior and political institutions.

For many African voters, experience with democracy comes from interactions they have with elected representatives through direct political contact. My dissertation project looks at the strategies and motivation behind said political contacts, arguing that they can be explained by the leverage voters have over their representatives, measured by electoral competition and representative turnover. I employ both quantitative and qualitative (elite interviews and focus groups) methodological approaches to test my theories.

Before coming to Notre Dame, I received a BA International relations degree from Hacettepe University (Turkey) and two MA degrees in European Studies (with thesis) and Political Science (with thesis), both from Sabanci University.

Areas of Interest

African Politics; Accountabilty; Representation; Elite-voter relations; identity politics