He received his Ph.D in Political Science from UC Berkeley, and also holds an MPA in International Development from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. His research explores the political voice of poor and marginalized populations in emerging democracies, with central reference to Latin America. He examines how politicians offer material benefits to the poor in exchange for political support, and investigates how individuals' vote choices affect subsequent access to services. He has published articles in the American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Review of Economics and Statistics, and World Development.