“Our Past, Weimar’s Present: Democracy’s Defense and the Inversion of an Historical Lesson” in Ned Lebow and Ludvig Norman eds. Why Weimar? (Cambridge University Press, 2024)
Professor Ahmed's main area of specialization is democratic studies, with a special interest in elections, voting systems, legislative politics, party development, and voting rights. She examines these issues in historical and comparative perspective and her work combines a regional focus on Europe and the United States.
Published Work
Published Work
“Political Parties and Democracy” in Adam Hilton and Jessica Hejny, eds. Placing Parties in American Political Development. (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2025)
Published Work
"The Regime Question: Foundations of Democratic Governance in Europe and the United States." (Princeton University Press, 2025) Link
Published Work
“Is the American Public Really Turning Away from Democracy? Backsliding and the Conceptual Challenges of Understanding Public Attitudes. Perspectives on Politics, July 2022 1-12. link
“American Political Development in the Mirror of Europe” in Comparative Area Studies:Methodological Rationales and Cross-Regional Applications, Ariel Ahram, Patrick Köllner, and Rudra Sil eds. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017).
“The Politics of History and the History of Economic Development" Journal of Politics (Jan 2015) 77.1
"Rethinking Backsliding: Insights from the Historical Turn in Democratization Studies". Comparative Democratization Newsletter, Fall 2014.
“Democratization Theory and the Arab Spring" with Giovanni Capoccia, Middle East law and Governance Journal (2014) 6.1: 1-31.
Democracy and the Politics of Electoral System Choice: Engineering Electoral Dominance (Cambridge University Press, 2013) link
- Best Book Award from the European Politics and Society Section of the APSA, 2014.
- George H. Hallett Award from the Representation and Electoral Systems Section of APSA, 2025.
"The Existential Threat: Varieties of Socialism and the Origins of Electoral Systems in Early Democracies", Studies in Comparative International Development (June 2013) 48.2: 141-171. PDF
"Revolutionary Blind-Spots: The Politics of Electoral System Choice in the Egyptian Transition" Middle East Law and Governance Journal. 2011. Vol. 3, No. 2.
“Reading History Forward: The Origins of Electoral Systems in Advanced Democracies” Comparative Political Studies Special Issue on The Historical Turn in Democratization Studies. August/September 2010 43: 1059-1088.
In Progress Work
“Democratic Contention in the 2024 Presidential Elections” (Forthcoming, Journal of Common Market Studies)
In Progress Work
Conflict and Cooperation: Institutional Sequencing, Legislative Politics, and Regime Stability in First Wave Democracies (Book Manuscript)“
“Democratic Backsliding for Whom: The Effects of Framing on Support for an Inclusive Democracy” with Stephanie Chan. (Article Manuscript, In Progress)
“Institutional Sequencing and Regime Stability: Understanding the Reverse Sequence in German Political Development, 1867-1933” with Stephanie Chan (Article Manuscript, Under Review)
“Presidential Campaigns, the Popular Vote, and the Electoral College: Understanding the Discrepancies.” With Gregory Wall (Article Manuscript)
“Political Parties and Democratic Governance” in Placing Parties American Political Development (Invited Article Manuscript, Under Review)
"Lessons from Weimar: The Mobilization of Weimar's History on the Left" (Invited Article Manuscript)
Disaggregating Democracy: A Genealogy of Political Regimes” (Article Manuscript)