vv20291@essex.ac.uk
Office 5.008
Office hours: Wednesdays, 10:00–12:00, or by appointment
ORCID: 0000-0003-2066-830X
Comparative Politics · Political Behaviour · Latin America
I am a comparative political scientist. My research explores how people navigate democratic institutions and what they do when those institutions fall short. I am particularly interested in political protest and democratic legitimacy, the ways historically marginalized communities seek greater political inclusion, and how societies rebuild trust and political relationships after conflict.
Most of my research takes place in Latin America, with a particular focus on Bolivia and Colombia. My current projects examine protest and democratic legitimacy, Indigenous political participation and institutional reform, and trust and reintegration after conflict.
My research combines surveys, experiments, original datasets, interviews, and fieldwork, and has appeared in Perspectives on Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Politics, Journal of Democracy, and World Development.
Research · Publications · CV