Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Robert Blair's research focuses on international intervention and the consolidation of state authority after civil war, with an emphasis on the rule of law and security institutions. He is also co-founder and co-director of the Democratic Erosion Consortium, which combines research, teaching, and civic and policy engagement to address threats to democracy in the US and abroad. Blair has conducted fieldwork in Colombia, Liberia, Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, and the US, with support from the US State Department, the National Science Foundation, the Folke Bernadotte Academy, the International Growth Centre, and the Hewlett Foundation, among other donors. He has also worked in various capacities for USAID, the UN Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, the Political Instability Task Force, Freedom House, and the Small Arms Survey. His research is published or forthcoming in Science, Nature Human Behaviour, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Quarterly Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, World Politics, International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, and other venues. His book, Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil War, was published in 2020 with Cambridge University Press.