Rachel Beatty Riedl

Rachel Beatty Riedl is a Professor in the Brooks School of Public Policy and Department of Government at Cornell University. She serves as the Peggy J. Koenig ’78 Director of the Center on Global Democracy and is a full member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

• Research Focus: Global democracy and authoritarianism, with regional expertise in Africa.
• Affiliated Programs: Open Society University Network’s Forum on Democracy and Development; co-editor of Cambridge University Press Elements series on Politics of Development.

Her scholarly work examines democratic party systems, decentralization, and religion’s political impact. Recent projects include USAID-funded research on Opening Democratic Spaces and comparative studies of democratic erosion in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Africa.

Scientific Awards:

• Best Book Award (APSA African Politics Conference Group, 2014)
• Honorable Mention, Comparative Democratization Section (APSA, 2015)
• Best Book Award (APSA QMMR Section, 2019)

She co-hosts the podcast Ufahamu Africa and has held visiting fellowships at Yale, Notre Dame, and Princeton. Her methodological expertise includes mixed-method research and qualitative transparency standards.