Research
My dissertation is composed of three papers, each of which explores a different dimension of the political implications of social movements, with an empirical focus on university student movements across Latin America. I argue that while social movements may not always directly result in visible policy change, they often have more diffuse effects on outcomes such as public opinion, the emergence of new political candidates, and political participation. More broadly, my dissertation seeks to highlight Latin America’s public universities as inlfuential sites of political contestation and socialization. My dissertation leverages a variety of research methods, including a natural experiment, a survey experiment, and qualitative interviews. I have conducted fieldwork at public university campuses in Mexico City and Guatemala City.
Working Papers
The Effects of Protest on Public Opinion: Evidence from Colombia
Abstract: How do mass protests affect political attitudes among the public? I argue that protests can convey information about the government’s performance, which in turn factors into individuals’ consideration of political attitudes. To illustrate this argument, I explore two distinct cases of protest movements in Colombia: the 2018 student strike for higher education reform, and the mass social unrest of 2021. I employ a type of natural experiment known as an ”unexpected event during surveys” design by exploiting the timing of the protests during the fieldwork period of the LAPOP Americas Barometer survey. The results suggest that in both cases, the onset of protests led to a swift and significant shift in several political attitudes, including approval of the incumbent president and pride in the national political system. This paper contributes to a growing body of literature which demonstrates that protests can be a powerful force for swaying public opinion.
Grievances, Framing Effects, and Public Support for Protests: Evidence from Argentina’s Student Movement
Abstract: The success of a social movement depends largely on its ability to sway public opinion in its favor. However, the ability of movements to successfully persuade the public hinges on the way contentious actions are framed by the media, elites, and activists themselves. I argue that variations in the framing of grievances – for example, as grounded in material concerns versus abstract, idealistic appeals – may influence individuals’ support for protests. Specifically, I suggest that protests will be most effective in persuading the public when they draw on meaningful appeals to shared cultural values, rather than materialist appeals. I test this through an online survey experiment based in Argentina, motivated by the recent student protest movement in support of higher education reform.
“A Little Guatemala”: The University of San Carlos as a Window Into Guatemala’s Democratic Backsliding
Abstract: Public universities, like any state institution, wield considerable political and financial resources. In many parts of the world, they are also home to rich internal governance systems that often mirror national political dynamics, making universities influential sites of political contestation and socialization. These attributes are exemplified by the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC), a public university with an unparalleled degree of influence in national political affairs. Drawing on interviews conducted over three months of fieldwork in Guatemala City, I trace how USAC has recently become a flashpoint of political contention in light of a highly controversial election for the university’s rectorship. I discuss how the election, and the subsequent student movement that emerged in response, have led to the deterioration of institutions of democratic representation at USAC. I argue that the situation has important parallels to dynamics of democratic backsliding at the national level. This paper seeks to contribute to a growing body of literature that highlights the importance of universities as both political institutions and political arenas. More broadly, this paper advocates for the analytical value of studying the “micro-politics” of a single institution for scholars of comparative politics.