Tag Archives: Legislation

Transparency and Accountability in Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Ella Ponthier, Graduate of the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs

Zdravo! My name is Ella, and I am a May 2025 graduate of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. I received my master’s degree in Global Policy Studies with a focus on Central and Eastern European Studies. During my time at the LBJ School, I developed a strong interest in coursework on informal institutions and the state of democracy in post-communist states. Communism in this region ended, seemingly overnight, in the 1990s—but post-communist states did not automatically transform into consolidated democracies. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of those countries.

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Mapping Sense of Belonging and Birthright Citizenship Laws: My Experience Researching Migration and Nationality in the Americas 

By P. Salomé Valdivieso Santillán, Graduate student at the UT Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies

Our research project began with the aim of studying how different birthright nationality laws shape migrant integration in four diverse settings: Panama, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. These countries differ not only in terms of language, policies, and economies, but also in the levels of inclusion towards migrants, which significantly impact how we conceptualize the south-north divide. The United States, for instance, grants citizenship to anyone born on its soil, while Colombia and the Dominican Republic impose stricter conditions that can leave children of migrants in legal limbo. Panama is a rare case, given the antecedents of the “Crisol de Razas” (melting pot) policies, where a melting pot ideology, similar to that of the United States, has been established as one of the primary identity markers of the country. 

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Supporting Parliamentary Strengthening in North Macedonia

By Avin French, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department

I cannot say that North Macedonia was the place I thought I would spend my summer last year. I could not even tell you that it was at the top of the list of vacation destinations prior to arriving in Skopje, but after spending six weeks in this alluring place, engaging with the people, exposing myself to the culture, and studying the nation, I could not be more grateful for the opportunity Embedded Scholars has given me at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in North Macedonia.

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From Texas Campaigns to Legislative Strengthening Abroad

By Emma Niewald, Graduate student at the UT LBJ School of Public Affairs

After interning with the National Democratic Institute in North Macedonia this summer, I feel more committed than ever to pursuing a career in the field of Rule of Law in the Balkans when I graduate next year. Though my path to a career in this space hasn’t been direct, it’s what I’ve always dreamed of. I’m a political consultant with 12 years of policy experience, ten of which I’ve spent in electoral politics. I graduated from Austin College with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and French in 2012. After graduation, I interned with nonprofits in Washington, D.C., including the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and the Center for National Policy. 

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Fighting Corruption and Advancing Civic Engagement in North Macedonia

By Arion Moore, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department and Liberal Arts Honors Program

The time I have spent this summer in Skopje, North Macedonia has been an unforgettable experience that I will look back on with fond memories and invaluable lessons throughout the rest of my academic journey. As a Government major in the University of Texas at Austin Liberal Arts Honors program, the work I engaged in with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) aligned perfectly with my academic and professional pursuits and my desire to contribute to the promotion of democracy.

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Building Strong Democracies: Elections, Lawmaking, and Civic Education 

By Alejandra Vadillo, Undergraduate student in the UT Mexican American Studies Department and Communications Department

This summer, I had the privilege to carry out my fellowship with International IDEA in Panama City, Panama. Working closely with the Institute of Democratic Studies (INED) at the Electoral Tribunal of Panama, I collaborated with some of the sharpest minds in the field to tackle complex issues facing Panama’s democracy, as well as others around the world.

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Bridging Borders: Cultural and Political Thoughts from a Texan in Santiago 

By Taylor Crownover, Undergraduate student in the UT Sociology Department and Plan II Honors Program

Upon arriving in Santiago, Chile, it dawned on me that I was further south than I had ever been in my life! Despite this, the time difference with Texas is just one hour ahead. Here I am, on the opposite side of the world, yet aligned longitudinally with my home. This realization has persisted throughout my first month in Chile, where cultural differences are strikingly evident, yet abounding moments of familiarity are also present as I continue immersing myself in the city. 

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AI, Social Media, and Democracy

By Tien Vo, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department, Mathematics Department, and Polymathic Scholars Honors Program

I recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in government and math. This summer I got to work with International IDEA through an internship organized by the UT Government Department and two amazing professors, Ashley Moran and Zachary Elkins. It is a newly developed internship program to study democratic institutional development in Latin America, and it has been an honor being one of the students chosen to participate in this program.

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Women’s Political Participation in Panama

By Alexys Aquino, Undergraduate student in the UT Government Department, International Relations and Global Studies Department, and Spanish and Portuguese Department

I’m happy to report that humidity is universal, although sometimes it seems Texas has a monopoly on it! Along with the humidity, Panama has no shortage of lush greenery, kind strangers, and strong coffee. I had never been to Central America before this internship with International IDEA and UT Austin, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now that I’ve been in Panama for over a month, I’ve started to get the hang of it all, from using the metro to navigating the temperamental elevators at the Electoral Tribunal. Despite all that I have learned, I’ve found that working in a multinational environment on topics as important as gender parity in Panamanian politics teaches you something new constantly.

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Fellows Team Grows in Chile!

Four graduate and undergraduate UT students are conducting their Summer 2023 work in Chile at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

Alejandra Jimenez, Guillermo Pérez, and Tien Vo started their work at the IDEA Chile Office on June 1, and they’re joined this week by Matt Martin, fresh in from IDEA’s Panama Office. The fellows are supporting a range of legal and constitutional reform projects in Chile, with Chile’s current constitutional reform process underway.

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