His primary field is comparative politics. His teaching and research focuses on the political economy of development, with a special focus on Africa, democratization, and the politics of economic reform. His most recent books are African Economies and the Politics of Permanent Crisis, 1979-1999(Cambridge University Press, 2001) and Overcoming Stagnation in Aid-Dependent Countries (Center for Global Development, 2005).
He has published widely on democratization issues as well as on the politics of economic reform and on the effectiveness of foreign aid, with a special focus on Africa. In addition, van de Walle has worked extensively as a consultant for a variety of international and multilateral organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, and UNDP. He received his PhD in Political Science from Princeton University.
