sellers@usc.edu / (213) 740-1684 / VKC 327
1994 Ph.D., Yale University
1990 M.Phil. and M.A., Yale University
1986 D.C.L., Yale Law School
1985 J.D., Yale Law School
1980 A.B. with High Honors, Princeton University
Dr. Jefferey Sellers’ research interests focus on comparative politics with an emphasis on urban and regional political economy, on multi-level governance, and on environmental law and policy. His research agenda centers around comparative analysis of institutions and state society relations from the “bottom-up” perspective of cities and communities. Initially focused on Europe and North America, this agenda is now global in scope.
One current project analyzes the first systematic international database on local governance institutions and civic organization. Another has organized a global network of researchers into the largest international collaborative study of metropolitan politics and governance. A third project pioneers in the application of remote sensing to compare trajectories of urbanization in China, India and other developing countries. Other recent projects analyze methods for the comparative analysis of subnational variation, and the politics of development in distressed neighborhoods of Los Angeles.
His research has been supported by such organizations as the Social Science Research Council, the French National Center for Scientific Research, the French Ministry of Research, the German Academic Exchange Service, United Cities and Local Governments, the Haynes Foundation, the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
