Ongoing Research
During the last decade, I have been studying how organizational structures and rules affect political engagement and its reproduction. I have studied the evolution of mechanisms that account for the reproduction of intense engagement in political organizations and the challenges that these organizations must overcome.
In collaboration with Rafael Piñeiro Rodríguez, I am currently exploring the political effects of technological innovation. Specifically, in this research project, we study how technological change affects party organizations and party activism. The questions we are addressing include: How have information and communications technologies (ICTs) affected organizational structures, levels of internal democracy, the reproduction of activism, and civic engagement? What effect does the technological revolution have on the ability of political actors to organize and mobilize? How do ICTs transform, reduce, or increase an organization´s internal democracy? Do they improve channels of communication between elites and activists? What is the effect of technological change on the deployment of political organizations in the territory? How does technology affect the rhythm of political organization? Answering these questions is crucial for assessing the prospects of democratic representation in the 21st century. We employ a mixed-methods research strategy to study major political parties in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay.
In collaboration with Rafael Piñeiro Rodríguez and Verónica Pérez Bentancur, I am in the early stages of a research project on the political incorporation of the popular sectors in Latin America. We hope to elucidate the factors that explain the different forms of political incorporation in Latin America and how the different forms affect stability and the capacity to build political order.
Research Grants
Principal Researcher for the project “El impacto del Big Data en las Organizaciones Partidarias en América Latina,” funded by Programa Fondecyt –Conicyt, Chile. 2019-2023. Fondecyt # 1190072.
Researcher for the project “The Role of Facebook in Legislative Campaigns in Chile (2017),” funded by Social Media and Democracy Research Grants (Social Science Research Council (SSRC) and Social Science One. With Juan Pablo Luna (PI), Cristian Pérez Muñoz, Bárbara Poblete, Sergio Toro, and Sebastián Valenzuela. 2019-2020.
Researcher for the Chilean Millennium Science Initiative – Millenium Institute for Foundational Research on Data, Chile, 2018-present.
Associate Researcher for the project “Transparencia y acceso a la información pública en Uruguay, Chile y Perú,” funded by the Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación, Uruguay, 2018-2020. With Rafael Piñeiro (PI), Cecilia Rossel, Paula Muñoz, and Fabrizio Scrollini.
Principal Researcher for the project “Conformación de grupo de estudio sobre organizaciones partidarias y activismo político,” funded by Programa de Cooperación Internacional – Conicyt, Chile. 2018-2019.
Principal Researcher for the project “Determinantes organizacionales y resiliencia del involucramiento sostenido de tipos de activistas en partidos políticos,” funded by Programa Fondecyt – Conicyt, Chile. 2015-2018. Fondecyt #11150151.
Associate Researcher for the project “Centro para el estudio de los efectos del cambio global en las dinámicas de inestabilidad política, económica y demográfica en América Latina,” funded by MECESUP-VRI (PUC1566) # INTER 6732. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. With Juan Pablo Luna and Mauricio Lima (PIs) et al., 2018-2019.
Associate Researcher for the project “Impact evaluation with experimental methodology of the Compra de Vivienda Nueva program of the Ministerio de Vivienda Ordenamiento Territorial y Medio Ambiente (MVOTMA),” funded by the Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación, Uruguay, 2015-2017. With Rafael Piñeiro (Principal Researcher), Felipe Monestier, Guadalupe Tuñón, Craig McIntosh.
Associate Researcher for the project “Engendering Compliance: Evaluating and Improving a Randomized Tax Holiday Policy,” funded by The Governance Initiative-JPAL (USA), 2014-2016. With Thad Dunning (Principal Researcher), Felipe Monestier, Rafael Piñeiro, and Guadalupe Tuñon.
Young Researcher for the project “Desafíos a la Representación,” funded by Chilean Millennium Science Initiative (NS130008), 2014-2017. With Rossana Castiglioni (PI), Cristóbal Rovira (PI), et al.
Associate Researcher for the project “La Arquitectura de la Diversidad: Diseño y Capacidades Institucionales para Resolución de Conflictos en las Américas,” funded by Conicyt (Chile) and International Development Research Centre, IDRC (Canada), 2013-2015. With Jorge Gordín (Principal Researcher), Sergio Toro, and Lucio Renno.
Principal Researcher for the project “Testing Static and Dynamic Party Institutionalization in Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay,” Proyecto Semilla (Seed Fund) funded by Universidad Diego Portales, Chile, 2013.