Drowning Democracy | Journal of Democracy
Afghanistan taught us that a firehose of unaccountable aid can destroy a country’s democratic future. In Ukraine, we are
The Future of Afghanistan | Ideas of India
For the podcast, Ideas of India I spoke about the problems with imposing liberal democracy in Afghanistan, building state capacity, education, the role of the U.S. in the Ghani government’s collapse and much more.
Named among World's Top Thinkers 2022 by Prospect Magazine
In 2022, Prospect Magazine shared a list of the "intellectuals coming up with the most exciting and potentially game-changing
Where Russia’s Afghanistan Policy Went Wrong | The National Interest
In this op-ed for the National Interest, Akram Umarov and I examine Russia's strategy towards the Taliban. We argue that Russia has overplayed its hand in Afghanistan
Uzbekistan Protests: Why Karakalpakstan Is Angry Over Proposed Constitutional Changes | Foreign Policy
In this explainer for Foreign Policy, I discuss the violent protest that swept the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan that is inside of Uzbekistan. Unrest spread after proposed constitutional changes would have transformed its a autonomy.
The Source of Ukraine's Resilience | Foreign Affairs
Ukraine shows that a combination of democracy and decentralization can strengthen central government, even as power shifts away from it. This is especially important to acknowledge as Ukraine begins to think about the enormous task of rebuilding when the war is over.
The Precious, Fragile Gift of Freedom | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
New opinion piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It discusses what we can learn from intellectual leaders and academics in both Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Collapse Was Not Inevitable | Slate
In an opinion piece for Slate, I argue that the collapse of the Afghan state was
not inventible.
You can
Collapse of Afghanistan | Journal of Democracy
My new article on the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan appeared in the latest issues of the Journal
Now Available: Land, the State, and War | Cambridge University Press
My new, Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afghanistan (with Ilia Murtazashvili) is now available
