Sebastian Elischer is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida, Gainesville where his research examines the effects of institutions and identities on state-building and democratization in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has published on these topics in journals including Comparative Politics, Democratization and African Affairs and has advised governments on the unfolding security and political situation in several African countries. He is also the author of Political Parties in Africa: Ethnicity and Party Formation (2015).