BIOGRAPHY

Benjamin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at MSU, a data consultant for the Democratic Erosion Consortium, and a visiting PhD student at the University of Chicago's Center on Democracy. His main research areas include democratic backsliding, political violence, nonviolent resistance, and authoritarian politics. His dissertation project examines the causes and consequences of opposition to democratic backsliding, both in the Middle East and globally. Using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, he examines the conditions under which opposition movements are likely to succeed in resisting backsliding and mobilizing public support for their cause. His research has been generously funded by the College of Social Science at MSU and the Institute for Liberty and Responsibility at Reichman University, and his work has been published in American Politics Research, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research, and Democratization. In addition, Benjamin is a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) and an editorial assistant at the Journal of Politics. Benjamin received his B.A. and M.A. in Government (specializing in conflict studies) from Reichman University in Israel (both with honors) and a second M.A. in Political Science from MSU. 

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