By Mitchel McCormick, Graduate student at the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs
The Embedded Scholars’ experience in Panama City, Panama, proved to be both challenging and rewarding. Challenging because being an intern after working full-time for six years is a significant adjustment. Doing all of this in a second language abroad makes it even more compelling. Rewarding because of the quality of the work I had the opportunity to witness, the skills of the CID Gallup staff, and the opportunity to work with a creative and sharp team both at CID Gallup and UT. At CID Gallup, I held several different roles, some uniquely tailored to the company and others involving collaboration with UT students on a research study related to the experience of migrants across Latin America.
Continue reading The Democratic Benefits of Public Opinion Research in Colombia and Panama →
By Allison Andrade, Undergraduate student in the UT International Relations and Global Studies Department and Plan II Honors Program
I had never considered visiting Panama, so when I excitedly told all of my friends and family that I would be spending the summer there, they were perplexed. The truth is that I had no idea what this experience would look like, but I knew that I was eager to explore and learn, and more than anything, I was passionate about being on a team focused on democratic development in Latin America. I can say now that my internship with International IDEA as part of the Embedded Scholars Program has been more than I imagined, and I am grateful for the opportunity to practice my Spanish professionally, work on fostering democracy, and learn about the diversity and history of Panama.
Continue reading Improving Democratic Resilience in Central America →
By: Olivia Drew, Undergraduate student in the UT International Relations and Global Studies Department
When I arrived in Panama, I had no idea what I would find or how I would fit into the office there. Nevertheless on May 29, I was there and was slowly learning my place in the city. When I got to the CID Gallup office, I learned more about their work and the reasons why it matters. CID Gallup is a surveying company that collaborates with both the public and private sectors to collect public opinion data about a variety of topics. The work being done at CID Gallup is crucial to understanding the concerns and needs of people in Latin America.
Continue reading Conducting Public Opinion Research across Panama →
By Grace Morris, PhD candidate in the UT Government Department
My time at the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) in their headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden has been an enriching experience both professionally and personally on my path to pursuing my doctorate in Government at The University of Texas at Austin. From the moment I stepped into the Stockholm office on my first Monday morning of work, the warmth from my new colleagues resonated and it already felt like a place I could call home.
Continue reading Assessing Democracy, Migrant Participation, and Voting Patterns →
UT’s Embedded Scholars program—led by UT Government faculty members Zachary Elkins and Ashley Moran—doubled in size this year to offer internships in more countries with more international organizations working in democratic development abroad.
Started three years ago as a partnership with International IDEA and the Comparative Constitutions Project in Latin America, the program combines in-depth classroom training in the spring with summer internships in democracy assistance abroad. This year, the program continued its work in Panama and Chile, and expanded to additional countries—Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, North Macedonia, and Sweden—as well as additional international organizations—CID Gallup, International IDEA’s Democracy Assessment team, the National Democratic Institute, and Transparency International.
Continue reading New Democracy Internships at Gallup, IDEA, NDI, and TI →
By Andrea Meador-Safont, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department and Plan II Honors Program
Just weeks after Panama elected a new president and National Assembly, I landed at the front steps of a grandiose government building, tasked with helping seasoned researchers analyze the new government citizens chose to represent them. Following one of the most important elections since Panama’s transition to democracy, incoming President José Raúl Mulino has the Herculean task of leading a country away from polarization, political tension, and social divisions while tackling issues of corruption, migration, and the environment. Many Panamanians have expressed disillusionment with their government, citing political corruption as a significant concern. However, amid voter apathy and citizen disaffection, there is a glimmer of hope that the incoming administration may bring about much-needed change.
Continue reading Researching Executive Power and Independent Candidates →
By Maria Mercedes Gómez, Graduate student at the UT Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies
My internship working for International IDEA was a mixture of personal and professional development in Panama City. I had previously worked on governmental and academic projects in Latin America, but working directly with an intergovernmental organization took this experience to a completely different level. Not only did I have the opportunity to develop two amazing projects regarding the relationships between democracy and gender and democracy and security, but I was also able to attend important events regarding recent elections like those in Panama and Venezuela.
Continue reading What Will Be the Future of Democracies? →
By Bourne, Undergraduate student in the UT International Relations and Global Studies Department and Liberal Arts Honors Program
When I first accepted this internship, I immediately saw parallels between Panama City and Austin: two capital cities with amazing nightlife, an incredible mix of biodiversity and modern cityscapes, and the most mouth-watering food at every turn. Now, after spending a month working at the Latin America Regional Office of International IDEA, Panamá has lived up to every expectation, and my time here has catapulted my career in the right direction.
Continue reading AI and Democracy in Latin America →
By María Mercedes Gómez, Graduate student at the UT Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies
What is democracy? What is the relationship between democracy, security, and gender? This summer working with International IDEA has made me consider deeper ways to understand these concepts. Although I am Colombian and I have lived in Mexico many years of my life, living in Panama has taught me that every Latin American country is unique. Every day has been a constant discovery—from learning how to take public transportation, which products are best in the grocery store, and how to dress for the office in a Central American country to learning how to interact with people from across Latin America in the office.
Continue reading Democracy, Gender, and Security →
Fellows in the University of Texas at Austin’s Embedded Scholars Program won an award for their research conducted in the spring Embedded Scholars class. Fellows Andreana Faucette and Paulina Licon won the 2024 Patman Center Research Award for Advancing Democracy, which recognizes “exceptional insight and dedication to advancing the cause of democracy.” Their research was conducted in the spring class taught by Ashley Moran on democratic constitutional design that prepares students for field work in democracy assistance.
Continue reading Embedded Scholars Win Democracy Research Award →
The 2024 Embedded Scholars conducted research this spring on a range of pressing challenges and opportunities for democracies today. Students shared their research this week, giving presentations on the role of public participation, civic and constitutional culture, and democratic resilience in preserving and advancing democracy.
Continue reading Fellows Share Research on Participation, Culture, and Democratic Resilience →
In their internship class this spring, the 2024 Embedded Scholars conducted research on key challenges facing democracies today. Their research assessed current findings on these challenges globally and the sociopolitical, legal, and constitutional dynamics shaping these issues in Latin America. Today, students presented their research on disinformation in elections and democratic disaffection and backsliding.
Continue reading Fellows Share Research on Disinformation and Backsliding →
A research exchange program at the University of Texas at Austin supporting student work abroad in democratic and constitutional development