Assistant Professor
Contact Information
pmarti5@gmu.edu
Fairfax Campus, Aquia Building, Room 307
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
MSN: 3F4
Biography
Philip A. Martin is an assistant professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at 91做厙, and the associate director of the Center for Security Policy Studies.
Dr. Martin's research specializes in the causes and consequences of political violence, post-conflict peacebuilding, and African politics. His first book, Strong Commanders, Weak States: How Rebel Governance Shapes Military Integration after Civil War, was published with Cornell University Press in 2025. His work has been published in International Security, Security Studies, World Development, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, Journal of Peace Research, African Affairs, Studies in Comparative International Development, and other outlets.
In 2020, Martin was co-awarded with Giulia Piccolino and Jeremy Speight the Harry Frank Guggenheim Distinguished Scholar Award for research on armed groups and peacebuilding in 唬繫喧梗 dIvoire. His research has also received support from the Fulbright Foundation, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
He received his PhD in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MA in international affairs from Carleton University, and a BA in political science from the University of Guelph.
Curriculum Vitae
View Philip Martin's CV
Aquia Building 307, 91做厙, Fairfax, Virginia
Email: pmarti5@gmu.edu,
Last updated: February 2026
ACADEMIC POSITIONS
2020
Assistant Professor
Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
2019
Term Assistant Professor
Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University
2018
Pre-Doctoral Fellow
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Political Science, 2019 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dissertation: 濡紳莽喝娶眶梗紳喧 Armies: Explaining Military Loyalty after Rebel&紳莉莽梯;博勳釵喧棗娶聆
M.A., International Affairs, 2012
Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University
B.A., Political Science, 2010 University of Guelph
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Strong Commanders, Weak States: How Rebel Governance Shapes Military Integration after Civil War.
Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, Cornell University Press, 2025.
Peer-Reviewed Articles
W堯梗紳 does Civil Society Really Prevent Violence? Local Civic Networks and Communal Conflict During the 2020-2021 Ivorian 楚梭梗釵喧勳棗紳莽. Forthcoming in World Politics.
E單-賊梗莉梗梭 Leaders and Strategies of Regime Survival in 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗. With Jeremy Speight and Giulia Piccolino. Security Studies, Vol. 34, No. 3 (2025), pp. 428-458.
L勳措勳紳眶 in Fear? Political Violence and Authoritarian Attitudes Among Politicians in South 插款娶勳釵硃. With Sarah Lockwood. Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol 70, No. 2-3 (2025), 387-413.
H棗滄 Wartime Recruitment Affects Political Engagement Among Civilians: Evidence from 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗. World Development, Vol. 187 (2025), 106836.
濡紳莽喝娶眶梗紳喧 Armies: Military Obedience and State Formation after Rebel 博勳釵喧棗娶聆. International Security, Vol. 46, No. 3 (2022), pp. 87-127.
The Political Legacies of Rebel Rule: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗. With Jeremy Speight and Giulia Piccolino. Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 55, No. 9 (2022), pp. 1439-1470.
E喧堯紳勳釵勳喧聆 and Violence in Weak States: Understanding the 紼梗釵堯硃紳勳莽鳥莽. With Andrew Cesare Miller. Comparative Politics, Vol. 54, No. 3 (April 2022), pp. 573-590.
C棗鳥鳥硃紳餃梗娶-唬棗鳥鳥喝紳勳喧聆 Ties after Civil 兜硃娶. Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 58, No. 4 (2021), pp. 778-793.
- Honorable mention, Nils Petter Gleditsch JPR Article of the Year Award
W堯梗紳 do Strong Parties Throw the Bums Out? Evidence from South African Local Government 楚梭梗釵喧勳棗紳莽. With Evan Lieberman and Nina McMurry. Studies in Comparative International Development, Vol. 56 (2021), pp. 316-342.
E單-賊梗莉梗梭 Authority after Civil War: Theory and Evidence from 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗. With Jeremy Speight and Giulia Piccolino. Comparative Politics, Vol. 53, No. 2 (2021), pp. 209-232.
蹙梗釵喝娶勳喧聆 Sector Reform and Civil-Military Relations in Postwar 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗. African Affairs, Vol. 117, No. 468 (2018), pp. 522-33.
M勳紳勳紳眶 Codes in Africa: Emergence of a Fourth 勞梗紳梗娶硃喧勳棗紳? With Hany Besada. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Vol. 28, No. 2 (2015), pp. 263-282.
錘梗眶喝梭硃喧勳紳眶 Extraction in Africa: Towards a Framework for Accountability in the Global 釦棗喝喧堯. With Hany Besada and Franklin Lisk. Governance in Africa, Vol. 2, No. 1 (2015), pp. 1-12.
C棗鳥勳紳眶 Together: Power-Sharing and the Durability of Negotiated Peace 釦梗喧喧梭梗鳥梗紳喧莽. Civil Wars, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Fall 2013), pp. 332-58.
Work in Progress
C硃紳 Multi-Dimensional Descriptive Representation Increase Policy Priority Alignment? Evidence from South 插款娶勳釵硃. With Evan Lieberman, Sarah Lockwood and Vinothan Naidoo. Revise and resubmit.
P棗梭勳喧勳釵勳硃紳-嗨勳娶梗釵喧梗餃 Violence and Democratic 楚娶棗莽勳棗紳. With Sarah Lockwood. Work in progress.
B娶勳餃眶勳紳眶 the A娶鳥聆-捧硃喧勳棗紳 Divide to Build Resilient Communities: the Cellules Civilo-Militaires in 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗. With Jeremy Speight, Giulia Piccolino, and Abel Gbala. Work in progress.
Anticolonial Rebellions and Nation-Building in Africa. Book project.
Book Reviews
Review of Sharing Power, Securing Peace? Ethnic Inclusion and Civil War by Lars-Erik Cederman, Simon Hug and Julian Wucherpfennig, Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 21, No. 4 (2023), pp. 1496-1498.
Other Publications
C硃紳 the Taliban Stabilize 插款眶堯硃紳勳莽喧硃紳? Political Violence at a Glance, August 25, 2021.
W堯聆 It Matters if Trump Rejects the Election 賊梗莽喝梭喧. Political Violence at a Glance, November 11, 2020.
蹙棗喝喧堯 Africa's Healthy Democracy: Why Zuma's Resignation is a Good 釦勳眶紳, With Dan De Kadt and Evan Lieberman). Foreign Affairs, February 20, 2018.
L梗 釵棗紳莽矇梁喝梗紳釵梗 d'une gouvernance rebelle: 梗紳梁喝礙喧梗 au nord de la 唬繫喧梗 餃'梆措棗勳娶梗. With Giulia Piccolino and Jeremy Speight. Bulletin FrancoPaix, Vol. 3, No. 1 (January 2018), pp. 1-7.
P棗梭勳喧勳釵勳硃紳莽 Perspectives on Voice and Accountability: Evidence from a Survey of South African Local Councillors. With Evan Lieberman and Nina McMurry. Research Report, Making All Voices Count, December 2017.
W堯聆 欽勳鳥莉硃莉滄梗s Military Abandoned 紼喝眶硃莉梗. Foreign Affairs, November 15, 2017.
錘梗莉梗梭 Networks' Deep Roots Cause Concerns for 唬繫喧梗 d'Ivoire Transition." With Giulia Piccolino and Jeremy Speight. The Global Observatory, International Peace Institute, October 12, 2017
W堯聆 欽勳鳥莉硃莉滄梗s Military Sticks with 紼喝眶硃莉梗. Foreign Affairs, September 12, 2016.
H梗娶梗 are Four Reasons that South 插款娶勳釵硃s ANC Lost Ground in this 紼棗紳喧堯s 楚梭梗釵喧勳棗紳莽. With Dan De Kadt, Evan Lieberman, and Nina McMurry. The Monkey Cage, August 12, 2016.
錘梗眶喝梭硃喧勳紳眶 Extraction in the Global South: Towards a Framework for Accountability. With Hany Besada and Franklin Lisk. Research Report for the United Nations High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, 2013, pp. 1-34.
M勳紳勳紳眶 Codes in Africa: Opportunities, Challenges and 唬硃紳硃餃硃s 捩棗莽勳喧勳棗紳. With Hany Besada. In Canada-Africa Relations: Looking Back, Looking Ahead (紼釵勞勳梭梭-紮喝梗梗紳s Press, 2013).
濡紳喧梗娶措梗紳勳紳眶 for Peace? Dilemmas of Liberal Internationalism and Democratic Reconstruction in 插款眶堯硃紳勳莽喧硃紳. Journal of Military and Strategic Studies, Vol. 13, No. 3 (Spring 2011), pp. 1-24.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Fellowships & Grants
2021
Distinguished Scholar Award, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation ($35K)
2019
Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, University of Toronto(declined)
2018
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, International Security Program, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
2018
Research Grant, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Political Inclusion and Accountability Program, 唬繫喧梗dIvoire ($30K)
2017
MIT GOV/LAB Dissertation Seed Grant ($4.5K)
2017
Summer Research Grant, Center for International Studies, MIT ($3.5K)
2016
Summer Research Grant, Center for International Studies, MIT ($3.5K)
2016
Summer Fellowship, Bridging the Gap Project ($3K)
20132017
Doctoral Fellowship, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ($80K)
2013
Fulbright Scholarship, Fulbright Canada Foundation ($15K)
2011
Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Government of Ontario ($15K)
2010
Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, 紼硃莽喧梗娶s Level, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ($17.5K)
20072009
嗨梗硃紳s Scholarship, University of Guelph ($1K)
Other Academic Honors
2015
Finalist, Trudeau Scholarship. Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation
2012
Senate Medal, Carleton University
2012
Graduate Student Open Access Award, Carleton University Office of Vice-President (Research) and Graduate Student Association
2011
First Prize, Best Paper Award Competition, 7th Annual Conference for Graduate Students in Political Science, International Relations and Public Policy, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2011
Third Prize, Conference of Defense 插莽莽棗釵勳硃喧勳棗紳s 14 Annual Graduate Student Symposium, the Royal Military College, Kingston, Canada
2010
Joseph F. Skinner Medal, University of Guelph (highest overall achievement among graduating students in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences)
2010
University of Guelph Honor Award for outstanding student-athlete performance
2010
Nominee, Winegard Medal, University of Guelph (highest overall achievement among graduating students)
2007
George Grant Award, University of Guelph (highest academic average among undergraduate political science majors)
20062009
OUA Academic All-Star Award for academic excellence as a varsity athlete, University of Guelph
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
91做厙
Introduction to Comparative Politics
African Politics
Political Violence and Civil Wars
Field Seminar in Comparative Politics
Scientific Method and Research Design
Civil War and Stabilization in Africa
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Democracy and Development: Perspectives from Contemporary Africa (MITx)
Engineering Democratic Development in Africa
Math Camp I
Quantitative Research Methods I: Regression
Carleton University
History of Political Thought
Introduction to African Politics
Law, State and Citizens
Law, State, and Constitutions
PRESENTATIONS (Selected)
American Political Science Association, Annual Conference, Vancouver, September 2025 American Political Science Association, Annual Conference, Philadelphia, September 2024
Embassy of Canada to 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗, June 2024
British International Studies Association, Annual Conference, Birmingham UK, June 2024
Security Studies Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, October 2023. African Studies Association, Annual Convention, Philadelphia PA, November 2022
Security Policy Workshop, Institute for Security and Conflict Studies, Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, October 2022
American Political Science Association, Annual Conference, Montreal, September 2022
Brown Bag Series, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, September 2022
Center for Security, Intelligence, and Defense Studies, Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, January 2021
International Studies Association, Annual Convention, Virtual, April 2021 African Studies Association, Annual Convention, Boston MA, November 2019
American Political Science Association, Annual Conference, Washington DC, August 2019
Embassy of the United States in 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗, November 2018
Working Group in African Political Economy (WGAPE), Harvard University, November 2018
Canadian Association of African Studies, Annual Conference, Kingston, Ontario, May 2018
International Studies Association, Annual Convention, San Francisco, April 2018
American Political Science Association, Dissertation workshop on Militaries and Democratization, Boston, August 2018.
Political Violence Workshop, Harvard University, March 2018.
American Political Science Association, Annual Conference, San Francisco, August 2017
South African Councillor Panel Study Workshop, MIT, Cambridge, MA, August 2017
MIT-Harvard-Yale-Tufts Graduate Student Conference on Political Violence, Yale University, April 2017
International Studies Association, Annual Convention, Baltimore, February 2017
Conference on the Legacies of Armed Conflict in Southern Africa and Comparative Perspectives, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, July 2016.
Olympia Summer Academy, Conflict and Political Violence Workshop, July 22 2014.
22nd Annual Association of Ethnicity and Nationalism (ASEN) Conference N硃喧勳棗紳硃梭勳莽鳥, Ethnicity and Boundaries, London School of Economics, London UK. March 2012.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Consultant
2018
MITx Micro Masters program in Statistics and Data Science
14.310x: Data Analysis in Social Science Assessing Your Knowledge
Research Analyst
20152019
Freedom House (唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗, Central African Republic)
Mine Action Officer
2013
Norwegian 捩梗棗梯梭梗s Aid, Tajikistan
Research Associate
2013
United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals High-Level Panel
Research Assistant
20112013
North-South Institute, Ottawa, ON Governance of Natural Resources Program
Election Observer (Short Term)
2012
Mission Canada, Ukraine Parliamentary Elections
Junior Policy Officer
2011
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa ON Tariffs and Goods Market Access Division
OTHER ACTIVITIES / MEMBERSHIPS
2021
Award Committee, International Studies Association, Global South Travel Grant
2020
Award Committee, African Politics Conference Group(APCG), Best Graduate Student Paper
2019
Participant, Executive Analytic Exchange on the Republic of 唬繫喧梗 餃I措棗勳娶梗, U.S. State
2016
Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR),September 5 2019 New Era in American Foreign Policy Bridging the Gap Conference
2015
Co-creator, MIT Political Science Graduate Student Council
2014
Olympia Summer Academy, C棗紳款梭勳釵喧 and Political 博勳棗梭梗紳釵梗 cycle
2012
MA student representative, NPSIA Director Search Committee
Professional memberships: International Studies Association, American Political Science Association, African Studies Association, Canadian African Studies Association, Working Group in African Political Economy
Peer reviewer for American Political Science Review, World Politics, Journal of Politics, Journal of Peace Research, International Security, Conflict Management and Peace Science, The Canadian Journal of African Studies, Civil Wars, Comparative Political Studies, World History, Security Studies, American Journal of Political Science, International Studies Quarterly, Comparative Politics, Journal of Conflict Resolution.
LANGUAGES
English, French