Research Bio

Hillel Soifer is a political scientist whose research investigates state formation, political development, and governance in Latin America and beyond. His work to date has examined how states acquire the capacity to implement policies and enforce authority across territory. He is best known for his book *State Building in Latin America*, which analyzes why states vary in their presence across the national territory. 

Professor Soifer's research also explores issues in research design and qualitative methodology. He has published on critical junctures, the use of shadow cases in empirical research, and subnational comparison. He is currently working on a book manuscript on the challenges entailed in studying spatial aggregate units, focusing on the modifiable areal unit problem and its implications for political science scholarship.

He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley, where he teaches courses onn comparative politics, political development, Latin American studies, and qualitative research methods.

Research Expertise and Interest

comparative politics, methodology & formal theory, Latin America