Political Science

Leah E. Gilbert

Assistant Professor of Political Science

J.R. Howard Hall

Leah Gilbert is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at Lewis and Clark College. Her research and teaching interests include democratization, civil society, authoritarianism, post-communist politics (with an emphasis on Russia), and European politics (with an emphasis on Germany). She speaks German and Russian and has conducted intensive fieldwork in both languages.

Gilbert, along with Payam Mohseni, is the author of an article that introduces a new conceptual map and taxonomy for hybrid regimes published by Studies in Comparative International Development (September 2011). An earlier version received recognition in the form of the Honorable Mention, Sage Paper Award for Best Qualitative Methods Paper Presented at the American Political Science Association, 2009. In addition, she has published several articles on the development and impact of civil society on democracy in Russia and Europe. Currently her research explores the legal regulation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in nondemocratic regimes. This research includes the development of a unique cross-national system of measurement of legal regulatory barriers for NGOs.

Teaching

Spring 2019

POLS 102 Introduction to Comparative Politics

Introduction to the central questions in comparative politics. Fundamental differences in the organization of states, democratic political institutions (presidentialism versus parliamentarianism, for example), and domestic social forces (for example, social capital, ethnic versus nonethnic identities). The impact of political organization on economic performance and social peace.

POLS 318 Civil Society

Analysis and evaluation of how civil society and social capital have promoted and shaped a variety of outcomes such as democratization and government performance. Students will critically analyze works from diverse regions of the world such as North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia. In-class activities and a semester-long project will step students through the research process on a core concept within the subfield of comparative politics.