Erica De Bruin

I am an Associate Professor of Government at Hamilton College. In the 2023-2024 academic year, I will be on sabbatical in Washington, D.C., where I'll be a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Security and Conflict Studies at the Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

My research and teaching focus on civil-military relations, coups d'état, democratic backsliding, civil war, and policing. My book, How to Prevent Coups d’état: Counterbalancing and Regime Survival (Cornell University Press, 2020), examines the strategies rulers use to remain in power. It argues that how rulers design their coercive institutions affects the survival of their regimes, as well as the likelihood that challenges to their rule will turn violent. My current research, funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, focuses on the causes and consequences of global police militarization and armed group governance. I received a PhD from the Department of Political Science at Yale University, and a BA from Columbia University. At Hamilton, I direct the Justice and Security Program at the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center, and teach courses in international security.

In case you are interested, here is a recent podcast discussion of How to Prevent Coups, as well as a longer bio.