Brian Klaas


Brian Paul Klaas is an American political scientist and columnist at the Washington Post. He is an associate professor in global politics at University College London. He is the author of The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy and The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy. He is also the co-author of How to Rig An Election.

Early life and education

Klaas was born in Golden Valley, Minnesota. He earned a BA from Carleton College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned an MPhil degree in political science from St. Antony's College, University of Oxford. He subsequently completed his DPhil in political science at New College, University of Oxford.

Career

Klaas is currently associate professor in global politics at University College London. After completing his DPhil at New College, University of Oxford, he was a Fellow in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics.
Klaas is a frequent commentator in the media on US foreign policy and democratization. His articles have been published in The New York Times, The Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian. He appears regularly on MSNBC, CNBC, BBC, CNN and other TV networks.
He was previously policy director and deputy campaign manager for Mark Dayton's successful bid for Governor of Minnesota from early 2009 to early 2011.

Published works