I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and also hold a M.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley.

My research centers on authoritarian politics and institutions, and game-theoretic approaches to the study of dictatorship. My book project examines how executive constraints become established in dictatorships, particularly within constitutions and presidential cabinets. I also have other work on democratic erosion, leadership succession, ruling parties, and coup proofing. I have a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and am interested in finding new and creative ways to collect data on authoritarian institutions. My work has been published or is forthcoming in the British Journal of Political Science and Studies in Comparative International Development.

Contact:
ameng@virginia.edu
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Office: S284 Gibson Hall
University of Virginia
Department of Politics
1540 Jefferson Park Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22903