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Carl LeVan

Professor of Comparative and Regional studies, American University
LeVan focuses on comparative political institutions, democratization, and African security. His second book on Nigeria, "Contemporary Nigerian Politics: Competition in a Time of Transition and Terror" (Cambridge 2019), explains how the ruling party lost in 2015 – the first time an incumbent party had ever been defeated. He is the co-editor of three books, including most recently the Oxford Handbook of Nigerian Politics (Oxford 2018), a collection of 44 new essays, edited with Patrick Ukata. He has also published on the Boko Haram insurgency, power sharing in east Africa, the economic performance of coalition governments, comparative authoritarianism and property rights in Abuja, Nigeria.

His research interests beyond Africa include the politics of constitution-making. His 2017 book “Constituents before Assembly: Participation, Deliberation and Representation in the Crafting of New Constitutions,” co-authored with Todd Eisenstadt and Tofigh Maboudi, examines all new constitutions 1974-2014. His current research project examines problems of democratic politics in "post-truth" America.

Prior to joining academia, he worked as a legislative director in the U.S. Congress and then as an adviser to Nigeria's National Assembly. He publishes the blog, Development4security and tweets @Dev4Security. A frequent commentator on African politics, he has appeared on PBS NewsHour, NPR's Diane Rehm Show, Voice of America TV, BBC World Television, al Jazeera, MSNBC, Amy Goodman's Democracy Now!

5 elections to watch in 2023

Dec 30, 2022 10:23 am UTC| Politics

Predicting the outcome of national elections can be a mugs game. Polls are often wrong, and second-guessing how people will vote months down the line can leave even the most savvy election specialist with egg on their...

Economy

Iraq Seeks 6 Million Bpd OPEC+ Oil Quota

Iraq is pushing for a substantial increase in its OPEC+ oil production quota, seeking to have future output targets calculated using a production capacity of 6 million barrels per day (bpd), according to Bloomberg, citing...

UK Food Inflation Forecast to Hit 6.4% by Mid-2027

UK food price inflation is expected to accelerate over the coming year, potentially reaching 6.4% by mid-2027 as geopolitical tensions, extreme weather and higher production costs pressure the food industry, according to...

Brent Oil Tops $100 as Middle East Conflict Threatens Supply

Brent crude oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July 24 as escalating Middle East conflict intensified fears of further disruptions to global oil supplies. Benchmark Brent crude...

Japanese Yen Nears Seven-Month High as Oil Approaches $100

The Japanese yen held near its strongest level since February on Wednesday, pressuring the U.S. dollar as escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices toward $100 a barrel and investors prepared for major central bank...

US Bans Canadian Alcohol, Motorcycles as Trade War Escalates

The United States has announced sweeping import bans on Canadian alcoholic beverages, motorcycles and some dairy products, escalating a trade dispute between the longtime North American allies. The restrictions, announced...

Politics

Israel Orders UK East Jerusalem Consulate Closure

Israel has ordered the United Kingdom to close its consulate in East Jerusalem within 30 days, escalating a diplomatic dispute after Britain, France and Canada announced new sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the...

Chris Hipkins Targets Cost-of-Living Relief in New Zealand Election

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says Labour was too slow to recognize the cost-of-living pressures facing households after the COVID-19 pandemic, as the party seeks to regain urban and middle-income voters...

Trump’s ‘New America’ Proposal Draws Backlash in New Mexico

President Donald Trumps proposal to rename New Mexico as New America has sparked criticism from residents and political leaders who say the move threatens to erase centuries of history and cultural identity. Trump, a...

US Judge Dismisses Imran Ahmed Deportation Lawsuit

A federal judge in New York has dismissed a lawsuit filed by British anti-disinformation campaigner Imran Ahmed challenging the Trump administrations authority to detain and deport him, potentially clearing the way for...

Iran Strikes U.S.-Used Jordan Base as Gulf War Escalates

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched ballistic missiles at a military base in Jordan used by U.S. forces and said it attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, marking a sharp escalation...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Targets Specialized Industries as Enterprise AI Demand Grows

OpenAI is expanding its focus on specialized industries such as chip design, life sciences and financial services while lowering AI model prices to compete with cheaper open-source alternatives, Chief Financial Officer...

Kioxia Rules Out SK Hynix Manufacturing Partnership

Kioxia Holdings CEO Hiroo Ota has ruled out closer manufacturing cooperation with South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix, pointing to antitrust concerns and complications involving Kioxias existing production partnership...

Qualcomm Stock Jumps on Amazon AI Chip Deal

Qualcomm Technologies (NASDAQ: QCOM) shares surged 9.5% after the chipmaker announced a multi-generational partnership with Amazon to develop custom silicon and high-speed optical connectivity technology for artificial...

Google Revamps EU Search Results to Meet DMA Rules

Alphabets Google has introduced major changes to its search results in Europe as it seeks to comply with European Union antitrust rules under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Google said Tuesday that the overhaul represents...

Australia Plans New Rules Giving Users Control Over Social Media Feeds

Australia has proposed new social media regulations that would give users greater control over the content appearing in their feeds, expanding the governments efforts to strengthen online safety and regulate major...