|
I am an Associate Professor of Political Science a the U.S. Naval Academy, where I mainly teach courses on comparative politics and Latin American politics.
In academic year 2022-2023, I am on sabbatical as a visiting researcher in the Instituto de Iberoamérica at the University of Salamanca, in Spain. While on sabbatical, I am co-editing a book on authoritarian consolidation in Venezuela with Raúl Sánchez Urribarrí, and also working on a book manuscript examining how Latin American presidents govern. Within the field of comparative politics, my research focuses on the effects of political institutions on democratic stability, policymaking, and governance, with a particular focus on Latin America. One of my primary areas of interest is how the executive branch of government exercises power and how presidents interact with legislatures and their own bureaucracies. I also study presidential (in)stability, coalition dynamics under presidentialism, and the design of electoral institutions. I have published peer-reviewed articles in places such as The Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Electoral Studies, Democratization, Latin American Politics and Society, and The Latin American Research Review, as well as dozens more editor-reviewed articles, book chapters, policy papers, and op-eds. Outside of the classroom, I have given briefings to the US State Department, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and US Southern Command on issues related to Latin American politics, and I have served as electoral systems expert for the Organization of American States (OAS) electoral observation team in Ecuador. In addition, I have participated in working groups examining Venezuela’s political crisis for the Council on Foreign Relations, the Woodrow Wilson Center, the United States Institute of Peace, and the Atlantic Council. I have been quoted in the national press, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and The Atlantic Monthly, among others. A native English speaker, I am fluent in Spanish and also speak Portuguese. Please contact me if you have any questions about my work or data. Contact information: John Polga-Hecimovich Political Science Department United States Naval Academy 589 McNair Road Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5030 polgahec(at)usna(dot)edu |
|
