Welcome to the Pinckney Research Lab at the University of Texas at Dallas. Our research investigates the dynamics of civil resistance movements, the conditions that produce stable democratic transitions, and the strategic interactions between states and nonviolent challengers.
What we do
The lab brings together faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to study how ordinary people organize collective action under repressive conditions, what makes some movements succeed where others fail, and how the international community can better support pro-democracy actors. We combine large-N statistical analysis, original survey work, fieldwork-driven case studies, and computational text analysis.
Recent highlights
- Welcoming new lab members for the 2026–27 academic year. See People and feel free to reach out about openings (see below).
- New project launch: Defections from Authoritarian and Backsliding Regimes — examining the conditions under which supporters of authoritarian regimes defect to the opposition. See Projects.
- New publication: “Mapping the ROAD To Democracy: A Global Dataset of Overturning Attempts and Organizations in Civil Resistance Transitions” — see Publications.
Get involved!
If you are interested in collaborating with the Pinckney lab, then please get in touch with Dr. Pinckney.
Undergraduate Research: We are looking for hardworking, dedicated students with excellent writing and analytical skills to work with us on our recently-initiated project on defections from authoritarian regimes. This work involves historical research, data coding, writing short case studies, and potentially statistical analysis. If you have your own research project on one or more of the topics covered by the Pinckney lab, then we may also be able to provide you with guidance and resources, including access to our in-progress data. If you wish to work with us, then contact Dr. Pinckney with a brief description of your major, any past research experience, and whether you are interested in working on the defections project or your own research project.
Graduate Research: We are also always interested in collaboration, including interdisciplinary collaboration, with graduate students interested in researching topics related to the areas studied by the Pinckney lab. If you are a MA or PhD student interested in collaborating with Dr. Pinckney or other members of the Pinckney Lab, then contact Dr. Pinckney with a brief description of your research interests, training, and the specific project you are interested in collaborating on (either one of our ongoing research projects or one of your own design).