Eric McLaughlin

Academic Interests and Areas of Expertise

• African Politics
• Electoral Institutions
• Political Parties
• Ethnicity and Identity

Professional Background

Eric McLaughlin received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 2006 and joined the Redlands faculty in Fall 2008. He taught previously at the University of Illinois and served as a tenure-track faculty member at the University of New Mexico before coming to Redlands. Eric McLaughlin’s research focuses on institutions in new democracies and the politics of ethnicity and identity, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. His dissertation analyzed the democratic consequences of language policies designed to accommodate ethnic diversity in South African provinces. He has published articles on various aspects of the South African electoral process and ongoing projects examine the dynamics of party-switching in legislatures and the effect of institutions on “nation-building” in Africa.

Courses Offered at Redlands

• GOVT 123 Introduction to World Politics
• GOVT 200 The Study of Politics
• GOVT 328 Comparative Politics
• GOVT 362 Playing Politics
• GOVT 400 African Politics

Degrees Held

• BA (History), Tulane University, 2000
• Ph.D. (Political Science), Indiana University, 2006

Previous Teaching Experience

• Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign (2006-7)
• Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico (2007-8)
• At Redlands since Fall 2008

Publications

McLaughlin, Eric S. (2008). “Racial, Ethnic, or Rational Voters? Splitting Tickets in South Africa,” Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies, 35(1), 23-41.

McLaughlin, Eric S. (2007). “Beyond the Racial Census: The Political Salience of Ethno-Linguistic Identities in South Africa,” Comparative Political Studies, 40(4), 435-56.

McLaughlin, Eric S., (2006). “Language, Governance, and Democracy in South Africa” In Eds. V.N. Webb & T. du Plessis. The Politics of Language in South Africa. Pretoria, South Africa: Van Schaik, 118-37.