Charles Butcher's research interests include the onset and dynamics of resistance movements in authoritarian states, especially how variations in organizational participation influence the long and short-term outcomes of these movements. He is a PI on the 'Anatomy of Resistance Campaigns' (ARC) project which aims to understand how different networks of organizations in collective dissent influence the prospects of sustainable democratization. He is also interested in understanding the onset of armed conflicts, the use of violence against civilians by armed groups in war and understanding the structure and dynamics of historical and non-western state systems.