Danny Choi, a 2018 PhD from the department, has been awarded the 2020 Juan Linz Prize for Best Dissertation in the Comparative Study of Democracy. The prize is awarded by the Democracy and Autocracy Section of the American Political Science Association (APSA). Danny Choi's dissertation examines how electoral geography in democratizing countries can undermine the accountability relationship between voters and their elected representatives. His research shows that, under conditions of local electoral dominance, party leaders are able to use their influence over candidate nominations to serve a party’s organizational interests rather than address voters' needs.
