Professor Gibson is Professor of Political Science and Director of the International Studies Program at UC San Diego. He studies the politics of development, democracy, and the environment. He has explored issues related to these topics in Africa, Central and South America, and the United States. His current research focuses on the accountability between governments and citizens in Africa.

He is also a founder of the Project on African Political Economy consists of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students affiliated with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) who explore questions about the politics of Africa. PAPE members have a broad range of interests, including political accountability, the determinants of voting, and the provision of public services in Africa’s emerging democracies.