Recent Papers and Presentations

• "Regional Organizations and Democratic Governance: The Value of Collective Action", After The Arab Spring: The Role of Regional Organizations in Promoting Democratic Governance, UNUCRIS/UNECA/IDEA, November 2012, Brussels, Belgium.
• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung UN Human Rights Council Parallel Session, “The First Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council: A Work in Progress”, Geneva, Switzerland, September, 2012.
• “Assessing the First Cycle of the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review: Herding Cats and Sheep”, Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, April 2012.
• “Revisiting USAID’s Assistance for Democratic Development: Is it Quantity Versus Quality?”, Center for International Development, State University of New York, November, 2011.
• “Assessing the African Spring” Study Group, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, November, 2011. http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/ACSS-Special-Report-1.pdf.
• “The Human Rights Council After the Review”, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Conference, (Keynote Speaker) Geneva, Switzerland, October, 2011.
• “Proposals for Reforming the Universal Periodic Review: A Background Paper”, Conference on The Human Rights Council’s Performance To-date, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Berlin, Germany October 14-15, 2010.
• McMahon, Edward R. And Ascherio, Marta. “Analysis of Recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review: Sessions I-VI”, Conference on The Human Rights Council’s Performance To-date, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Berlin, Germany October 14-15, 2010.
• “Democratization in Africa: A Comparative perspective:, U.S. Embassy, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire,(videoconference), August 25, 2010.
• “Globalization and Human Rights: State Behavior and the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council”, 10th International CISS Millennium Conference, Venice, Italy, July 4-5, 2010.
• “Recent Trends in African Politics”, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, April 12, 2010.
• “Key Elements of Legitimate Elections, U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,(videoconference), April 7, 2010.
• “Analysis of UPR Recommendations: Informing the 2011 HRC Review”, UPR-Info Side Event of Sixth Session of U.N. Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review Working Group Sixth Session, Geneva, Switzerland, December 3, 2009.
• “The Functioning of the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council”, College of Education and Social Services Scholarship Symposium, University of Vermont, May 15, 2009.
• “Donor Policy Implications and Recommendations”, Consequences of Political Inclusion in Africa Workshop, American University, April 24-25, 2009.
• “Assessing the Assessments: Correlating Democracy Measurement Methodologies”(with Emilie Kornheiser), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York. February 6, 2009.
• “The U.N. Human Rights Council: Should There Be A New Paradigm?”, Centre for Developing Area Studies and the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, December 1, 2008.
• “Integrating Human Rights Education into Academic and Campus Life”, Vermont Campus Compact Fostering Global Citizenship in Higher Education Conference, Colchester Vermont, November 10-11, 2008.
• “How Democratic is Africa?”, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Washington D.C., October 29, 2008.
• “The Community of Democracies and Regional Organizations: A Work in Progress”, International Studies Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, March 27 - 30, 2008.
• “Reflections on Independent Election Commissions in Africa”, Conference on Independent Election Commissions, Center for Developing Area Studies, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, March 13-15, 2008.
• “Africa's Big Men: Accident or Necessity?” U.S. Department of State Conference on Africa's Authoritarian Rulers, Washington, D.C., July 17, 2007.
• "Finding Common Ground? A Comparative Analysis of the Community of Democracies (CD) and International Conference of New and Restored Democracies (ICNRD) Participation and Recommendations", Report prepared for the U.N. Office of the Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, and the Office of Democracy and Governance, United Nations Development Program, March-May 2007.
• “NGO and Political Party Engagement in the Electoral Process”, Rabat, Morocco (U.S. embassy by videoconference), April 2007.
• “Regional Organizations and the Community of Democracies”, United Nations Development Program Seminar: Democracy and Development: Poverty as a Challenge to Democratic Governance, Bamako, Mali, March 2007.
• “Piecing a Democratic Quilt: Regional Organizations and Universal Norms”, Society for International Development, Ottawa, Canada, March 2007.
• “International Democracy Promotion and the American Political Tradition”, McGill University, March 2007.
• “Democratic Reform in Kenya: Not So Fast”, African Studies Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, November 17, 2006 (Presenter and Panel Chair).
• “Piecing a Democratic Quilt: Regional Organizations and Universal Norms”, Center for International Development, State University of New York, November 9, 2006.
• “Democratic Reform in Kenya: Not So Fast”, Walter Rodney Lecture Series, Boston University, October 23, 2006.
• “Democratization in Africa”, The Elder Institute, South Burlington, Vermont, October 13, 2006.
• “Piecing a Democratic Quilt: Regional Organizations and Universal Norms”, Area and International Studies Lecture Series, University of Vermont, October 3, 2006.
• “Piecing a Democratic Quilt: Regional Organizations and Universal Norms”, The World Bank, September 7, 2006.
• “Assessing Global Democratization”, Jackson Hole Center for Global Affairs, March 21, 2006.
• “ How Democratic is the World? The Freedom House Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties: 1986-2004”, Vermont Council on World Affairs, Burlington, Vermont, November 30, 2005.
• “Regional Organizations and the Democratic Entitlement Doctrine: The OAS and the African Union”, Association of Third World Studies Annual Conference, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, November 21, 2005 (Presenter and Panel Chair).
• “Civil Society and International Organizations: Strategies for Promoting Democracy”, Montreal International Forum, Montreal, Canada, May 31, 2005.
• “Regional Organizations and the Democratic Entitlement Doctrine: A Work in Progress”, International Studies Association Western Section, Las Vegas, September 30 - October 2, 2004.
• “Reflections on Democracy and Elections in Africa: What Needs to be Done?”, AIPED Conference on “Democracy and Employment Creation, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, September 15, 2004 (by videoconference)
• “G8 Compliance with Democracy and Governance Commitments in the Africa Action Plan”, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, April 6, 2004.
• “Governance, State Capacity, and Democracy in Developing Nations: Establishing Standards and Identifying Impediments”, World Movement for Democracy, Durban, South Africa, February 5, 2004.
• “The Role of Political Parties in Democratic Development in Africa: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?”, African Studies Association, Boston, Massachusetts, October 29-31, 2003.
• “Regional Organizations and the Democratic Entitlement Doctrine”, International Studies Association/Central and Eastern European Studies Association Conference, Budapest, Hungary, June 24-26, 2003 (Presenter and Panel Chair).
• “The Elections Results Archive”, Destination Discovery Research Conference, Binghamton University, March 7-8, 2003 (Poster, with Thomas Muller and Grace Schulman).
• “The Impact of U.S. Democracy and Governance Assistance in Africa: Benin Case Study”, American Political Science Association annual meeting, Boston, August 29- September 1, 2002.
• “Assessing the Effect of US Democratization Assistance: Is it Quantity Versus Quality?”, American Political Science Association annual meeting, San Francisco, August 30- September 2, 2001.
• “Hitting the Target? International Assistance for Legislative Development in Nascent Democracies”, International Studies Association Conference on Globalization, Hong Kong, July 26-28, 2001.
• “Fact or Fable? Democratic Institution-Building in Sub-Saharan Africa”, International Studies Association Conference on Globalization, Hong Kong, July 26-28, 2001.
• “A Meeting of the Minds or Dialogue of the Deaf? U.S.-Based Research and Policy Development on Democracy and Governance in Africa”, Johns Hopkins SAIS Africa Day Conference, April 5-6, 2001.
• “Assessing Democratic Development in Africa”, ACDESS Conference on Africa’s Challenges in the 21st Century, Lagos, Nigeria, December 18-21, 2000.