Santo Domingo Visiting Fellow
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Ph.D. in Political Science
Dissertation title: Opposition at the Margins: The Erosion of Democracy in Latin America
Recipient of the 2017 Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Graduate School Award in Social Sciences
M.A. in Political Science
M.A. in Latin American Studies
B.A. with Honors in History
Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy. Cambridge University Press. 2022
Recipient of the 2022 Donna Lee Van Cott Award for best book in political institutions (Political Institutions Section - LASA)
Honorable Mention for the 2023 Luebbert Book Award for best book in Comparative Politics (Comparative Politics Section - APSA)
"When Handpicked Successors of Charismatic Leaders Prosper: The Surprising Success of Juan Manuel Santos in Colombia" with Caitlin Andrews-Lee in Democratization 29(6). 2022
"Corte al Congreso: Poder judicial y trámite legislativo en Colombia" with Sandra Botero in Latin American Research Review 34(2). 2022
"Who Undermines the Peace at the Ballot Box? The Case of Colombia" with Anna O. Pechenkina in _Terrorism and Political Violence. 34(2). 2022
"Are all Types of Wrongdoing Created Equal in the Eyes of Voters?" with Sandra Botero, Rodrigo Castro Cornejo, Nara Pavāo, and David Nickerson. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties. 31(2). 2021
"Under Friendly Fire: Partisan Press, Political Fragmentation and Candidate Evaluations in Argentina" with Sandra Botero, Rodrigo Castro Cornejo, Nara Pavao and David Nickerson in Electoral Studies 60, August 2019
"El reajuste de la derecha colombiana. El éxito electoral del uribismo" in Colombia Internacional, 99 , July 2019, pp. 187-214
"Opposition at the Margins: Strategies Against The Erosion of Democracy in Colombia and Venezuela" in Comparative Politics 49, No 4, July 2017.
"Says Who? An Experiment on Allegations of Corruption and Credibility of Sources" with Sandra Botero, Rodrigo Castro-Cornejo, Nara Pavao and David Nickerson in Political Research Quarterly 68, no. 3 (September 1, 2015)
"How Oppositions Fight Back" Journal of Democracy, 34 No. 3, 2023
"Polarizacion(es), populismo(s) y democracia(s) with Mauricio Jaramillo Jassir in Desafíos 34(2). 2022
"Latin Americas Shifting Politics: The Peace Process and Colombia’s Elections" Journal of Democracy, 29 No. 4, October 2018, pp. 54-64
"Venezuela: Aprofundamento do autoritarismo ou transição para a democracia?" in Relações Internacionais: Edição Especial: A crise da democracia. No. 52 (Dezembro 2016)
"The Uneven Success of Uribismo in Colombia" with Juan Albarracín and Juan Pablo Milanese in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. (Forthcoming).
"Parties and Regime Change in Latin America" in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. February 2020.
"De-Institutionalization without Collapse: Colombia’s Party System" with Juan Albarracín and Scott Mainwaring in Latin American Party Systems: Institutionalization, Decay and Collapse. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2018
"Desde dos flancos: hacia una reconfiguración de la oposición en Colombia" with Juan Pablo Milanese in Elecciones presidenciales y de Congreso en Colombia 2014: Representaciones fragmentadas y reconfiguraciones del sistema político colombiano. Bogotá: Fundación Konrad Adenauer, 2015
"Alfredo Vásquez Carrizosa y el Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos" with Manuel Domingo Trujillo in Derechos Humanos en Colombia 25 Años. Bogotá, Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos, 2004
"Review of The Fates of Political Parties: Institutional Crisis, Continuity, and Change in Latin America. By Jennifer Cyr & State Crisis in Fragile Democracies: Polarization and Political Regimes in South America. By Samuel Handlin." Perspectives on Politics, 17(3), 907-909.
"Public Opinion and Transitional Justice in Colombia" with Juan Albarracín
"How to Overpower a Populist: The Defiant Presidencies of Juan Manuel Santos and Lenín Moreno" with Caitlin Andrews-Lee.
"Why Venezuela’s Regime Hasn’t Collapsed," Foreign Affairs, May 30, 2019
"The Venezuelan Opposition’s (Surprising) Rise from the Ashes," IACL_AIDC Blog, May 1, 2019
"Venezuela is getting a new constitution whether the people want it or not" with Raúl Sànchez-Urribarri, The Conversation, July 23, 2017
"Venezuela has lost its democratic facade," The Conversation, April 12, 2017
"Venezuela on the verge of dictatorship: Can dialogue or demonstrations turn it around?" with Raúl Sànchez-Urribarri, The Conversation, December 16, 2016
"To Talk or Not to Talk? Debating Opposition Strategies in Venezuela," Global Observatory, November 22, 2016
Cross-University Course on Democratic Erosion
Theory in Comparative Politics (Graduate Seminar)
Global Issues
Latin American Government and Politics
United States and Latin America
Research Methods in Political Science
Political Science Department Statistical Consultant
Eli J. and Helen Shaheen Graduate School Award in Social Sciences
CARE Award
Professional Development Award
Professional Development Award
Tinker Summer Research Grant
Dissertation Year Fellowship
Dissertation Year Fellowship
Kellogg Institute PhD Fellowship
Ana Mae Ford Foundation Fellowship
Teresa Lozano Long Fellowship
5th Hemispheric Security Conference: "Crisis in Venezuela Continues (Panelist)"
"The Right in Latin America (Workshop)"
"Chávez’s Venezuelan Revolution: What Happened?" with Sam Handlin
"Venezuela’s Crisis: What is happening, what can be done and why should we care?" with Kirk Hawkins and Sam Handlin
"Opposition at the Margins: The Erosion of Democracy in Latin America"
"Says Who?: The Impact of Sources of Corruption Accusations in Colombia"
"Partisan Succession in Charismatic Movements"
"How to Overpower a Populist: Democratizing Efforts in Colombia"
"‘Chávez Vete Ya’: The Erosion of Democracy in Venezuela"
"Preventing the Erosion of Democracy in Colombia"
"Public Opinion and Support for Transitional Justice in Colombia"
"The Glass Half Full: Deepening Authoritarianism or Beginning a Transition to Democracy?"
"How We Fight: The Erosion of Democracy in Venezuela"
"Partisan Press, Political Fragmentation and Candidate Evaluations in Argentina"
"The Dynamics of Erosion of Democracy in Latin America"
"Legitimate Autocrats: The Dynamics of Erosion of Democracy in Latin America"
"Campaigning with Empty Pockets: Why the Liberal Party Wins Regional Elections in Colombia"
"Says Who? The Impact of Sources of Corruption Accusations in Colombia"
"Campaigning with Empty Pockets: Why the Liberal Party Wins Regional Elections in Colombia"
Field Research in Colombia
Field Research in Venezuela
Advanced Teaching Scholar Certificate
Striving for Excellence in Teaching Certificate
Institute for Qualitative and Multimethods Research
ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods for Social Research
Statistical Analysis: Stata, R (basic knowledge), M-Plus (basic knowledge)
Spanish (Native)
English (Fluent)
Peer reviewer for AJPS, Comparative Politics, Government and Opposition, Latin American Research Review, Revista de Ciencia Política, and Colombia Internacional
Panel Organizer APSA
Book Discussant SPSA
Panel Discussant LASA
Panel Chair LASA
Comparative Politics Search Committee
Comparative Politics Search Committee
M.A. thesis committee chair (two students)
M.A. thesis committee member (three students)
Member, American Association of Political Science
Member, Latin American Political Science Association