Advisors: John Huber, Macartan Humphreys, Victoria Murillo

Teaching and Research Interests: Political economy of development, Democratization, Clientelism and corruption, Experimental methods, African politics

Dissertation: When Not All Voters Are Equal - The Effect of Traditional Patrons on Elections and Redistribution in Zambia

 Kate's research examines how democratic institutions operate when they are imposed on top of unequal social structures. She is interested in the effect of local-level patron-client relationships on the way voters cast their ballots and the type of representation elected politicians provide. Her dissertation analyzes the influence of hereditary chiefs on the operation of democracy across different areas of Zambia. She uses experimental methods, spatial analysis and natural breaks following the deaths of chiefs to identify the effect of these local patrons on voting behavior and redistributive politics.