Brian Min studies the political economy of development with an emphasis on distributive politics, public goods provision, and energy politics. His current research uses satellite imagery of nighttime lights and other geo-coded data to show how the distribution of electricity is shaped by electoral politics across the developing world. His dissertation on the subject received APSA's 2011 Gabriel Almond Award. He has conducted research in India, West Africa, and across Inuit lands in the Canadian Arctic. He has also conducted research on ethnic politics and conflict, including the collection of a large new dataset (with Lars-ErikCederman and Andreas Wimmer) on Ethnic Power Relations (EPR) in all countries of the world from 1946–2005.