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Rachel Beatty Riedl is the Peggy J. Koenig ’78 Director of the Center for Global Democracy at the Brooks School of Public Policy and a Professor in the Department of Government at Cornell University. Her research expertise centers on democracy and authoritarianism globally, particularly in Africa, addressing questions of participation, institutions, political parties, and local governance. Riedl has led USAID’s Democracy, Rights, and Governance learning agenda, producing the research report 'Opening Democratic Spaces.' She is a member of the Open Society University Network’s Forum on Democracy and Development and the author of the award-winning book 'Authoritarian Origins of Democratic Party Systems in Africa.' Additionally, Riedl co-authored 'Pews to Politics: Religious Sermons and Political Participation in Africa' and has held visiting fellow positions at prestigious institutions including Yale and Princeton. With extensive experience in policy analysis for organizations like USAID and the World Bank, she examines governance reforms, elections, and democratic representation. Riedl also co-hosts the podcast 'Ufahamu Africa,' which provides scholarly analysis on the political landscape of the African continent.
Department of Architecture