Leonardo Arriola

Political scientist focusing on democratisation and governance

Leo is Director of the Center for African Studies and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research covers accountability, democratization, governance, and violence in African countries. He has conducted fieldwork and implemented surveys in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, and Zambia. He is author of Multiethnic Coalitions in Africa: Business Financing of Opposition Election Campaigns (Cambridge University Press 2013). His research has been published in journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, and World Politics.

He serves as the current Chair of the African Politics Conference Group (APCG), an organized section of the American Political Science Association (APSA) and an affiliate of the African Studies Association (ASA). He is a member of the editorial team of the African Studies Review, and he serves on the editorial boards of African Affairs, Comparative Politics, and Comparative Political Studies. He has consulted for organizations such as Amnesty International, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, the US Agency for International Development, and the US State Department.

He holds a PhD in political science from Stanford University, an MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and a BA in history and international relations from Claremont McKenna College.