Curriculum Vitae, January 2025
Assistant Professor
Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-482-8636
Email: iarana@andrew.cmu.edu
Website: www.ignacioarana.org
Education
2015 Ph.D., Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
2013 Latin American Studies Certificate, University of Pittsburgh
2011 ICPSR quantitative methods summer program, University of Michigan
2007 M.A., Political Science, University of Chile
2002 B.A., Journalism and Mass Communication, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
Research Interests
Books
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals
[16] 2023. “Dominant Personality and Politically Inexperienced Presidents Challenge Term Limits” Journal of Politics 85 (4), p.1401-1415. PDF.
[15] 2023. [“The Inner Circle of Presidents” Estudios Internacionales 55 (206): 81-109. PDF.
[14] 2022. “When Do First Ladies Run for Office? Lessons from Latin America” (with Carolina Guerrero). Latin American Politics and Society 64 (3): 93-116. PDF.
[13] 2022. “The “Big Five” personality traits of presidents and the relaxation of term limits in Latin America” Democratization 29 (1): 113-132. PDF.
[12] 2022. “The Quest for Uncontested Power: Presidents’ Personalities and Democratic Erosion in Latin America, 1945-2012” Political Psychology 43 (3), 511-528. PDF.
[11] 2021. “The Personalities of Presidents as Independent Variables” Political Psychology 42 (4): 695-712. PDF.
[10] 2021. “Judicial Reshuffles and Women Justices in Latin America” (with Aníbal Pérez-Liñán and Melanie Hughes) American Journal of Political Science 65 (2): 373-388. PDF.
• It won the Óscar Godoy Prize for the best article published between 2020 and 2023 by a Chilean Political Science Association member.
[9] 2019. “First Ladies as Members of the Political Elite” [In Spanish] (with Carolina Guerrero). América Latina Hoy 81: 31-49. PDF.
[8] 2017. “Strategic Retirement in Comparative Perspective” (with Aníbal Pérez-Liñán) Journal of Law and Courts 5 (2): 173-197. PDF.
[7] 2017. “Chile 2016: The nadir of democratic legitimacy?” [In Spanish] Revista de Ciencia Política 37 (2): 305-334. PDF.
[6] 2017. “What Drives Evo’s Attempts to Remain in Power? A Psychological Explanation” Bolivian Studies Journal 22: 191-219. PDF.
[5] 2016. “How to Assess the Members of the Political Elite? A Proposal Based on Presidents of the Americas” [In Spanish] Política 54 (1): 219-254. PDF.
[4] 2016. “Aftershocks of Pinochet’s Constitution: the Chilean Post-Earthquake Reconstruction” Latin American Perspectives 44(4): 62-80. PDF.
[3] 2015. “Budgetary Negotiations: How the Chilean Congress Overcomes its Constitutional Limits” Journal of Legislative Studies 21 (2): 213-231. PDF.
[2] 2013. “Informal Institutions and Horizontal Accountability: Protocols in the Chilean Budgetary Process” Latin American Politics and Society 55 (4): 74-94. PDF.
[1] 2012. “Who whispers to the president? Advisors versus ministers in Latin America” [In Spanish] Política 50(2): 29-57. PDF.
Book Chapters
[4] 2024. “Chavismo in Venezuela” In Luca Anceschi, Alexander Baturo, and Francesco Cavatorta, eds., Personalism and Personalist Regimes. Oxford University Press.
[3] 2020. “Executive-Legislative Relations: When do Legislators Trust the President?” [with Carolina Guerrero] In Manuel Alcántara, Mercedes García, and Cristina Rivas, eds., Politics and Political Elites in Latin America. Springer. PDF.
[2] 2018. “Comparative Political Elites” In Ali Farazmand and Mauricio Olavarría-Gambi, eds., The Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer International Publishing. PDF.
[1] 2018. “The electoral emergence of Latin American first ladies” [In Spanish, with Carolina Guerrero] In Lucía Miranda Leibe and Julieta Suárez-Cao, eds., La política siempre ha sido cosa de mujeres: elecciones y protagonistas en perspectiva comparada.” FLACSO-Chile. PDF.
Other Journal Articles
[4] 2022. “The Latinized Dragon: China and Latin America in the Twenty-First Century” (with Hengyi Yang). Latin American Research Review 57 (4): 972-982.
[3] 2019. “To Impeach or Not to Impeach: Lessons from Latin America” Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.
[2] 2018. “Elecciones en Chile 2017: Congreso Remozado, Presidente Repetido” Iberoamericana 18 (69): 231-238.
[1] 2016. “Democracia y matrimonios presidenciales: poca competencia y rotación en la élite política” Nueva Sociedad 266.
Work Under Review and in Progress
“Presidential Personalities and Presidential Approval.” With Ryan Carlin. Under review.
The Psychology of Presidents. Book under development. It provides a framework and a method to study the psychology of presidents, supported by comprehensive psychometric data.
“Dictators’ Aggressiveness and Political Repression.” With Alexander Baturo. In progress.
“The Effect Size of Compulsory Voting.” With Amor Chambers. In progress.
“Women Leaders and Covid-19.” Needs resubmission.
“The Formal and Informal Roles of Presidents Across the World.” In progress.
“The Flaws in Hamilton’s Views on Term Limits.” With Daksh Goyal.
Book Reviews
2014. From Enron to Evo, by Derrick Hindery. In Bolivian Studies Journal 20: 229-232.
2012. Indelible Inequalities in Latin America: Insights from History, Politics, and Culture, by Paul Gootenberg and Luis Reygadas, eds. The Latin Americanist, 56(2): 191-192.
Media Publications
October 13, 2024. ¿Por qué 7 estados deciden la presidencia de EE.UU.? Latinoamerica21.com. Republished in El Universal (Mexican newspaper), Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazilian newspaper), Confidencial (Nicaraguan newspaper), Criterio (Honduran newspaper), Hoy (Dominican newspaper), Tal Cual (Venezuelan newspaper), El Espectador (Colombian Newspaper).
September 29, 2023. “Aumentan las ex primeras damas al Poder Ejecutivo en América Latina” International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). With Carolina Guerrero.
August 21, 2023. “Las elecciones de Guatemala podrían dar la presidencia a otra ex primera dama” Latinoamerica21.com.
September 18, 2022. “Bukele, reelección y caudillismo” Latinoamerica21.com. Republished in Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazilian newspaper), El Universal (Mexico), Clarín (main Argentinian newspaper), El Espectador (Colombian Newspaper), El Faro (Salvadoran online newspaper), and Confidencial (Nicaraguan newspaper).
January 12, 2022. “El proceso presupuestario en la nueva Constitución” La Tercera (Chilean newspaper). With Christopher Martínez.
December 10, 2021. “President of Honduras is a former first lady. Expect to see more former first ladies running for office” The Washington Post.
November 25, 2021. “¿Por qué Kast ganó a Boric en las 20 comunas más pobres?” Latinoamerica21.com. Republished in Clarín (main Argentinian newspaper), Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazilian newspaper), Tal Cual (Venezuelan newspaper), and Revista Dat0s (Bolivian magazine).
November 4, 2021. “El presidencialismo no muere” El Mercurio Online (Chilean newspaper).
September 12, 2021. “Bukele por siempre y el humo del bitcoin” Latinoamerica21.com. Republished in El Universo (Ecuadorean newspaper) and El Espectador (Colombian Newspaper).
July 14, 2021. “Chile, presidencialismo sin fin” Agenda Pública (El País, Spanish newspaper).
June 15, 2021. “Bukele y su próximo asalto constitucional” Latinoamerica21.com. Republished in El Mostrador (online Chilean news outlet) and Folha de Sao Paulo (Brazilian Newspaper).
March 6, 2020. “La erosión de la democracia chilena y su potencial reversión” El Mercurio Online (Chilean newspaper).
March 28, 2018. “The ‘personal’ versus the ‘institutional’ presidency: An artificial divide” Presidential Power blog (British blog).
May 5, 2017. “5 lessons from former presidents on making good decisions” The Washington Post.
February 26, 2016. “Does it matter who the president is? If so, how does it matter?” Presidential Power blog (British blog).
May 28, 2013. “La discusión constitucional en perspectiva comparada” La Tercera (Chilean newspaper).
Professional Experience
Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology, Carnegie Mellon University
Lecturer (Fall 2016), Postdoctoral Fellow (2017-2019), Assistant Teaching Professor (2019-2022), Assistant Professor (2022-)
Instituto de Ciencia Política, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Postdoctoral Researcher (2015-2017)
Center for Latin American Studies, University of Pittsburgh
Editor of Panoramas Scholarly Platform (2014-2017)
ABC newspaper, Spain
Feature Writer, International News (2008)
El Mercurio newspaper, Chile
Feature Writer, International News (2002, 2004-2008), Business and Economic News (2003-2004)
Other Affiliations and Media Visibility
2021- . Faculty at CMU’s Center for Informed Democracy & Social-Cybersecurity (IDeaS)
2021- . Member of the Democratic Erosion Consortium
2021- . Columnist for latinoamerica21.com
Consulting
2023- . Consultant for the American government on Latin American politics
2023- . Court expert witness (I have assessed life prospects in different societies)
2023- . Speaker for foreign universities
2016- . Chile country expert for the Freedom House’s Freedom in the World report
2014. Electoral observer, Egypt’s Presidential Election. Democracy International, Egypt
Field Research
2018. Colombia
July-August 2011. Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
July 2009, January 2012. Chile
Original Databases
Presidential Database of the Americas: Biographical and psychometric database about the 342 presidents of the Western Hemisphere who governed from 1945-2021. Psychometric data is taken from an online survey completed by hundreds of experts. Biographical and other data comes from the expert survey and other sources.
World Leaders Database Project: Completed in 2021, the first part of the WLDP has unique biographical information about the more than 1,800 heads of government that have governed a country around the world from 1970-2020. The second will contain psychometric data.
Grants, Scholarships, and Awards
2023. Óscar Godoy Prize for best article published in 2020-2023. Chilean Political Science Association. Santiago, Chile
2021-2022. Provost’s Inclusive Teaching Fellowship Award. Carnegie Mellon University
2019. LASA Annual Conference Travel Grant. Latin American Studies Association
2018. APSA Annual Meeting Travel Grant. American Political Science Association
2018. Best Graduate from Master in Political Science. University of Chile
2018. Multidisciplinary Research Project Award. Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
2015-2017. FONDECYT (Chilean government agency). Postdoctoral Award
2013-2014. Latin American Social and Public Policy Fellowship. CLAS, University of Pittsburgh
2013. International Studies Fund. UCIS, University of Pittsburgh
2012. Richard Cottam Memorial Prize Fund. University of Pittsburgh
2011-2012. Social Science Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. University of Pittsburgh
2011, 2012, 2013. Teaching Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh
2010-2011. David B. Houston Human Rights and Social Justice in Latin America Award, CLAS, University of Pittsburgh
2009-2010. Graduate Student Researcher, University of Pittsburgh
2009. Summer Research Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh
2008-2009. Arts & Sciences Fellowship, University of Pittsburgh
February-August 2008. Balboa Program Scholarship. Fundación Diálogos (Madrid, Spain)
2007. Visitors Program, European Union (Brussels, Belgium)
Teaching Experience
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Fall 2024- . Research Design for Political Science (undergraduate)
Spring 2020- . Latin American Politics (graduate and undergraduate)
Spring 2017- . Comparative Politics (undergraduate)
Fall 2020-2021. Qualitative Methods in Social Science Research (graduate mini)
Fall 2020-2021. Thesis Proposal Tutorial (graduate mini)
Fall 2020. Geopolitical Challenges of a Changing Middle East (Qatar, undergraduate mini)
Fall 2019. Comparative Presidential Behavior (graduate and undergraduate)
Fall 2016-2023. Comparative Political Institutions (graduate)
Personalized mentorship/advising courses
Spring 2021- . Ph.D. Dissertation Committee Member: 2 students
Spring 2019- . Master Thesis Advisor: 9 students
Spring 2017- . Graduate Research Assistance: 12 students, 14 semesters
Spring 2017- . Undergraduate Research Assistance: 67 students, 82 semesters
Fall 2017- . Humanities & Social Science Senior Honors Thesis I&II: 2 students
Summer 2019. Undergraduate Internship: 1 student
Summer 2021. Graduate Internship: 1 student
University of Pittsburgh
Summer 2014. Latin American Political Development
Fall 2012. Teaching Assistant in Research Methods in Political Science
Summer 2011. Latin American Politics
Fall 2010. Teaching Assistant in Comparative Politics and International Organizations
Professional Service
Article Reviewer: British Journal of Political Science (1), Democratization (2), Government and Opposition (1) Comparative Political Studies (1), Studies in Comparative International Development (1), The Journal of Politics (3), Political Research Quarterly (5), Journal of Comparative Politics (6), Journal of Politics in Latin America (3), Latin American Research Review (3), Latin American Politics and Society (8), Estudios Públicos (1), Bolivian Studies Journal (1), Revista de Ciencia Política (4), International Journal of Social Welfare (1), European Political Science (2), International Political Science Review (2), Revista Pilquen (1), Política y Gobierno (1), Revista de Estudios Colombianos (1), Revista Enfoques: Ciencias Políticas y Administración Pública (1).
Book reviewer: Oxford University Press (1), Routledge (1), Rowman & Littlefield (2)
Conference Chair: APSA (2018), LASA (2015), MPSA (2014, 2018), LASPP (2014)
Conference Discussant: GIGA (2020), IPSA (2009), MPSA (2013, 2014, 2018, 2019), LASPP (2019)
Grant Reviewer, Chile’s National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (3)
Neustadt Award Committee member, Presidents & Executive Politics APSA Section, 2019
Carnegie Mellon University
Search Committee for Department Head, Assistant Teaching Professor, Assistant Professor, and Postdoctoral Fellows, 2021-
Dietrich College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, 2021-2022
Academic Review Board and University Disciplinary Committee member, 2019-2023
Master of Science in International Relations and Politics redesign committee, 2019
Dietrich College Council Member, 2019-2021
Conference and Workshop Participation
Spanish (native), English (fluent), Portuguese (intermediate)
Professional Organizations
International Studies Association (2024)
GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies. Hamburg, Germany (June 2020)
Latin American Studies Association (LASA, 2015, 2016, 2019)
Latin American Social and Public Policy (LASPP, 2013, 2014, 2019)
Chilean Society of Public Policy (2012)
American Political Science Association (APSA, 2011, 2012, 2018)
Political Psychology APSA pre-conference (2018)
Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019)
Chilean Political Science Association (ACCP, 2010, 2023)
International Political Science Association (IPSA, 2009)
Euro-Latin American Network of Governability for Development (REDGOB, 2009)
Invited Talks
Juky 2024. The Institute For Entrepreneurial Excellence. Pittsburgh, United States
May 2024. Pittsburgh Committee on Foreign Relations. Pittsburgh, United States
October 2023. Universidad de Concepción. Concepción, Chile
June 2023. Universidad de Santiago de Chile (remote). Santiago, Chile
April 2022. University College Dublin. Dublin, Ireland
October 2020. Carnegie Mellon University—Qatar (remote). Doha, Qatar
April & August, 2020. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (remote). Quito, Ecuador
December 2019. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Santiago, Chile
October 2017, January 2020, January 2024. University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, United States
May 2016. Universidad Diego Portales. Santiago, Chile
April 2015. The European University at Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburgh, Russia
December 2013. Center for Research and Teaching Economics. Mexico City, Mexico
July 2010. Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Santiago, Chile
Research Assistance
Research Assistant to Dr. Aníbal Pérez-Liñán (2009-2011), University of Pittsburgh, National Science Foundation project “Supreme Court Stability in Latin America”
Research Assistant to Dr. Scott Morgenstern (2009-2011), University of Pittsburgh, US Agency for International Development project “Political Party Development”
Languages
Spanish (native), English (fluent), Portuguese (intermediate)
Professional Organizations
American Political Science Association, International Political Science Association, Latin American Studies Association, Chilean Political Science Association
References
- Aníbal Pérez-Liñán. Professor of Political Science, University of Notre Dame
- David Barker. Professor of Government, American University
- John Carey. John Wentworth Professor in the Social Sciences, Dartmouth College
- Scott Morgenstern. Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh