Nicole Wilson
College Fellow 2024-2025; Assistant Professor
Interests
Research Interest(s): Political behavior, state capacity, taxation, urban politics, housing, land
Program Area(s): Methods; Comparative Politics
Regional Specialization(s): Africa
Subfield Specialties: Public Opinion, Political Communication, and Political Participation
Biography
Nicole Wilson is a political scientist specializing in comparative politics. Her research explores how neighborhood-level characteristics, particularly social and leadership structures, shape the relationship between citizens and the state, with a focus on cities in the Global South. Her current book project considers how and why those who opt for private alternatives to public service delivery continue to engage with the state, drawing on the case of gated communities in Lagos, Nigeria. She also has several papers related to the politics of property taxation and has broader interests in housing and land. Methodologically, she is interested in developing field methods to access difficult-to-reach populations, primarily using surveys, administrative data, and geospatial data. Nicole also values working across subfields and regional specializations.