Leah E. Gilbert

Leah E. Gilbert is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Lewis & Clark College, located in Portland, Oregon. She specializes in Comparative Politics, focusing on civil society, democratization, authoritarianism, post-communist politics (especially Russia), and European politics (with an emphasis on Germany). She holds a PhD from Georgetown University (2012) and a BA from St. Olaf College (2002). Her research explores the legal regulation of NGOs in non-democratic regimes, the impact of civil society on democracy, and contemporary environmental activism in Germany.

Teaching: In Spring 2025, she is instructing POLS 102 (Intro to Comparative Politics) and POLS 325 (European Politics). Her courses examine political institutions, social forces, and regional political challenges.

Research: Gilbert's work includes analyzing hybrid regimes, state management of civil society in Putin’s Russia, and NGO laws in Belarus, Russia, and Armenia. She co-authored influential studies on authoritarian strategies and hybrid regime conceptualization.

Labs/Teams: While no specific labs are mentioned, her research collaborations, such as with Payam Mohseni, highlight interdisciplinary and international scholarly networks.