BIO

Professor Bhavnani is an Adjunct Faculty member at FLAME University.  Bhavnani's research explores the micro-foundations of violent conflict by means of agent-based computational modeling and disaggregated empirical analysis. More specifically, his work examines the endogenous relationships among: (i) the characteristics, beliefs, and interests of relevant actors; (ii) social mechanisms and emergent social structures that shape attitudes, decision-making and behavior; and (iii) patterns of conflict and violence.

Bhavnani has an M.P.P. in Public Policy and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

• Research Interests
  Micro-foundations of Conflict and Violence, Civil War, Identity Complexity, Urban Questions, Evidence-Driven Modeling


• Articles
  [19] Bhavnani, R., K. Donnay, D. Miodownik, M. Mor and D. Helbing. 2014. “Group Segregation and Urban Violence.” American Journal of Political Science 58:1 (January): 226–245.
  Recipient of 2014 American Journal of Political Science Best Paper Award
  [18] Bhavnani, R. and H. Choi. 2012. “Modeling Civil Violence in Afghanistan: Ethnic Geography, Control, and Collaboration.” Complexity 17:6 (July/August): 42-51.
  [17] Bhavnani, R. and K. Donnay. 2012. “Here’s Looking at You: The Arab Spring and Violence in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank.” Swiss Political Science Review 18:1 (March): 124-131.
  [16] Bratton, M., R. Bhavnani and T. Chen. 2012. “Voting Intentions in Africa: Ethnic, Economic or Partisan?” Commonwealth and Comparative Politics 50:1 (February): 27-52.
  [15] Miodownik, D. and R. Bhavnani. 2011. “Ethnic Minority Rule and Civil War Onset: How Identity Salience, Fiscal Policy, and Natural Resource Profiles Moderate Outcomes.” Conflict Management and Peace Science 28:5 (November): 438-458.
  [14] Bhavnani, R., D. Miodownik and H. Choi. 2011. “Violence and Control in Civil Conflict: Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.” Comparative Politics 44:1 (October): 61-80.
  [13] Bhavnani, R. and J. Lavery. 2011. “Transnational-Ethnic Ties and the Incidence of Minority Rule in Rwanda and Burundi.” Nationalism and Ethnic Politics 17:3 (July-September): 231-256.
  [12] Bhavnani, R., D. Miodownik and H. Choi. 2011. “Three Two Tango: Territorial Control and Selective Violence in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 55:1 (February): 133-158.
  [11] Miodownik, D., B. Cartrite and R. Bhavnani. 2010. “Between Replication and Docking: ‘Adaptive Agents, Political Institutions, and Civic Traditions’ Revisited.” Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 13:3 (June).
  [10] Bhavnani, R. 2009. “Scarcity, Abundance, and Conflict: A Complex New World.” Whitehead Journal of International Diplomacy 10:2 (Summer/Fall): 19-34.
  [09] Bhavnani, R., M. Findley and J. Kuklinski. 2009. “Rumor Dynamics in Ethnic Violence.” Journal of Politics 71:3 (July): 876-892.
  [08] Bhavnani, R. and D. Miodownik. 2009. “Ethnic Polarization, Ethnic Salience, and Civil War.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 53:1 (February): 30-49.
  [07] Bhavnani, R., R. Riolo and D. Backer. 2008. “Simulating Closed Regimes with Agent-Based Models.” Complexity 14:1 (September/October): 36-44.
  [06] Bhavnani, R., D. Miodownik and J. Nart. 2008. “REsCape: An Agent-Based Framework for Modeling Resources, Ethnicity, and Conflict.” Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 11:2 (March).
  [05] Bhavnani, R. 2006. “Ethnic Norms and Interethnic Violence: Accounting for Mass Participation in the Rwandan Genocide.” Journal of Peace Research 43:6 (November): 651-669.
  [04] Snyder, R. and R. Bhavnani. 2005. “Diamonds, Blood, and Taxes: A Revenue-Centered Framework for Explaining Political Order.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 49:4 (August): 563-597.
  [03] Bhavnani, R. 2003. “Adaptive Agents, Political Institutions, and Civic Traditions in Modern Italy.” Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 6:4 (October).
  [02] Bhavnani, R. and M. Ross. 2003. “Announcement, Credibility, and Turnout in Popular Rebellions.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 47:3 (June): 340-366.
  [01] Bhavnani, R. and D. Backer. 2000. “Localized Ethnic Conflict and Genocide: Accounting for Differences in Rwanda and Burundi.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 44:3 (June): 283-307.


• Edited Book Series
  [02] David Backer, Ravi Bhavnani, and Paul Huth (eds.). 2017 (forthcoming). Peace and Conflict. Routledge.
  [01] David Backer, Ravi Bhavnani, and Paul Huth (eds.). 2016. Peace and Conflict. Routledge.


• Book Chapters
  [11] Bhavnani, R. and D. Sylvan. 2017 (forthcoming). “Simulation and ABM in Foreign Policy.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press.
  [10] Backer, D., R. Bhavnani, R. and P. Huth. 2017 (forthcoming). “Introduction to Peace and Conflict 2017.” in David Backer, Ravi Bhavnani, and Paul Huth (eds.) Peace and Conflict. Routledge.
  [09] Bhavnani, R. and K. Donnay. 2017 (forthcoming). “Generalizing Findings from Micro-Level Research on Peace and Conflict: Reflections about Challenges and Solutions.” in David Backer, Ravi Bhavnani, and Paul Huth (eds.) Peace and Conflict. Routledge.
  [08] Bratton, M., R. Bhavnani and T. Chen 2016. “Voting Intentions in Africa: Ethnic, Economic or Partisan?” in Nic Cheeseman (ed.) African Politics. Routledge.
  [07] Backer, D., R. Bhavnani, R. and P. Huth. 2016. “Introduction to Peace and Conflict 2016.” in David Backer, Ravi Bhavnani, and Paul Huth (eds.) Peace and Conflict. Routledge.
  [06] Bhavnani, R. and K. Donnay. 2016. “The Cutting Edge of Research on Peace and Conflict.” in David Backer, Ravi Bhavnani, and Paul Huth (eds.) Peace and Conflict. Routledge.
  [05] Donnay, K., E. Gadjanova and R. Bhavnani. 2014. “Disaggregating Conflict by Actors, Time, and Location.” in David Backer, Jonathan Wilkenfeld, and Paul Huth (eds.) Peace and Conflict. Paradigm Publishers.
  [04] Bratton, M., R. Bhavnani and T. Chen 2013. “Voting Intentions in Africa: Ethnic, Economic or Partisan?” in M. Bratton (ed.) Voting and Democratic Citizenship in Africa. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
  [03] Bhavnani, R. and D. Miodownik. 2010. “Macro- and Micro-Level Theories of Violence in Ethnic and Non-Ethnic Civil Wars.” in Tor Jacobson (ed.) Causes of War: An Introduction to Theories Behind Warfare and Collective Violence. Nova Science Publishers.
  [02] Bhavnani, R., R. Riolo and D. Miodownik. 2010. “Computational Models of Ethnic Violence.” in Alexander Kott and Gary Citrenbaum (eds.) Estimating Impact: A Handbook of Computational Methods and Models for Anticipating Economic, Social, Political and Security Effects in International Interventions. Springer.
  [01] Bhavnani, R. 2006. “Agent Based Models in the Study of Ethnic Norms and Interethnic Violence.” in Neil Harrison (ed.) Complexity in World Politics: Concepts and Methods of a New Paradigm. SUNY Press.