Dr. Taylor’s research and teaching interests lie in the areas of African politics and political economy, with a particular emphasis on business-state relations, private sector development, governance, and political and economic reform. He is the author of Politics in Southern Africa: Transition and Transformation (Lynne Rienner, 2011)(with Gretchen Bauer); Culture and Customs of Zambia (Greenwood Press, 2006); Business and the State in Southern Africa: The Politics of Economic Reform (Lynne Rienner, 2007); and Globalization and the Cultures of Business in Africa: From Patrimonialism to Profit (Indiana University Press, 2012), as well as of articles in numerous political science and area studies journals.
Dr. Taylor has consulted widely in the field of international development, on issues of political economy and governance and democracy and elections. He has served as a consultant for numerous organizations, including USAID, DfID, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the Carter Center, as well as for private companies. He has held positions as visiting researcher at the University of Zambia, the University of Zimbabwe, and the Christian Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Norway. Dr. Taylor has traveled widely throughout Africa and served as an election observer in a number of African countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Dr. Taylor previously taught at Smith College and most recently at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he was also Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the International Advisory Board for the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR), a member of the Board of Trustees of Franklin and Marshall College, and a member of the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Dr. Taylor’s specializations include Africa, Governance and Politics and International Development
