Stanford University · Political Science

Research that promotes peace, justice, and democratic resilience.

I study politics under conditions of violence, state weakness, and democratic backsliding. My research combines rigorous fieldwork, experiments, and causal inference to inform better policies and stronger democracies.

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About
Beatriz Magaloni

Violence, autocracy, and the rule of law.

I am the Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations and Professor of Political Science at Stanford University, and a Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

I am the founding Director of the Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab and Co-Director of the Democracy Action Lab.

Books
  • Voting for AutocracyCambridge University Press, 2006
  • The Political Logic of Poverty ReliefCambridge University Press, 2016
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Education
  • Ph.D., Political ScienceDuke University
  • Law DegreeITAM, Mexico City
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Research Areas

  • Violence and Criminal Governance

    How criminal groups govern territory and interact with the state and communities.

  • Democracy and Institutions

    Public support for democracy, institutional trust, and democratic backsliding.

  • Policing and Security

    Police reform, state capacity, and the consequences of security policies.

  • Indigenous Autonomy and Local Governance

    Resources, representation, and self-determination in indigenous communities.

  • Comparative Politics in Latin America

    Field research and experiments across the region.

Of continuous field research across Latin America since 2010.
Peer-reviewed publications, white papers and policy briefs.
Countries of field research, from the U.S. and Mexico to Colombia, Brazil and beyond.
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Research Mission

Action-oriented research to contain violence.

My research examines the political economy of violence, organized crime, policing, and democratic governance in Latin America. I study how criminal violence, weak and corrupt institutions, and punitive security policies reshape state–society relations, fuel human rights abuses, and undermine democratic institutions.

Building on my work on democratic backsliding, I also examine the tradeoffs citizens face when deciding whether to defend or abandon democracy in contexts of insecurity, polarization, and state weakness. More broadly, my research seeks to understand how institutions and public policies can reduce violence, strengthen the rule of law, and promote democratic resilience.

Research Projects

Sixteen years of fieldwork across Latin America.

16
Projects
Criminal Governance · Policing · Migration · Youth · Gender
Sixteen years of field research across Latin America — from Rio de Janeiro to Oaxaca, Zapopan and beyond.
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Teaching

Five seminars, plus the lab and the field.

My teaching takes place in the classroom, the lab, and the field. In the lab I bring together graduate and undergraduate students who take part in sponsored research projects, learning to tackle challenging real-world problems — and I take students to do fieldwork in Guatemala, Brazil, and Mexico.

  1. 01Theories of Comparative Politics
  2. 02Poverty and Governance
  3. 03Latin American Politics
  4. 04Authoritarian Regimes
  5. 05The Logics of Violence
Recognition & Awards

International prizes and honors.

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News & Media Coverage

Coverage, interviews, and public events.

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16
News items
Announcements · Press Coverage · Podcasts
Media coverage, awards, and public events spanning my research on policing, violence, and governance across Latin America.
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Partners & Funders

Funders, sponsors, and field partners.

My research is made possible by funders, institutional sponsors, and the community organizations and NGOs that collaborate with me in the field. Click any logo for details.