I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University. Previously, I was an Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin. I received my PhD in Government from the Department of Government at the University of Essex in 2018.
My research agenda focuses on the legacy of authoritarianism, democratization processes, and human rights. My research on the legacy of democratic transitions on democratic attitudes was funded by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). I have also engaged in policy consultancy for USAID and the National Democratic Institute.
My work has been published (or is forthcoming) at Perspectives on Politics, Comparative Political Studies, The Review of International Organizations, Democratization, Journal of Peace Research, and Research&Politics.
I also published opinion pieces on democratic survival, human rights, and voter turnout at The Journal Voices, The Conversation UK, and Political Violence @ a Glance.
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | (2025) 'Autocratic Revolving Doors: The Return of Authoritarian Elites to Democratic Cabinets'. Perspectives on Politics, . | |
| 2025 | (2025) 'Locking in democracy? Transitions, returning autocratic elites, and human rights treaty commitment'. Review of International Organizations, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-024-09582-z | |
| 2025 | Olar, R.G.; Neundorf, A. (2025) 'Winds of change: democratic transitions and long-term democratic support'. Democratization, 32 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2024 | Olar, R.G. (2024) 'Democratization Boost or Bust? Electoral Turnout After Democratic Transitions'. Comparative Political Studies, 57 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2023 | (2023) 'Copy thy neighbor: Spatial interdependences in the democracy-repression nexus'. Journal of Human Rights, . https://doi.org/10.1080/14754835.2023.2289371 | |
| 2023 | Gleditsch, K.S.; Olar, R.G.; Radean, M. (2023) 'Going, going, gone? Varieties of dissent and leader exit'. Journal of Peace Research, 60 . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1177/00223433221092813 | |
| 2020 | Anja Neundorf; Johannes Gerschewski; Roman-Gabriel Olar (2020) 'How Do Inclusionary and Exclusionary Autocracies Affect Ordinary People?'. Comparative Political Studies, 53 (12):1890-1925. [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Roman-Gabriel Olar (2019) 'Fait accompli, or live to fight another day? Deterring and surviving coups in authoritarian regimes'. Research and Politics, . [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Roman-Gabriel Olar (2019) 'Do they know something we don’t? Diffusion of repression in authoritarian regimes'. Journal of Peace Research, 56 (5):667-681. [DOI] |
Media
Research Interests
Comparative Politics, International Relations, Human Rights, Conflict Processes, Authoritarianism, Democratization, Maximum Likelihood, Spatial Econometrics.