Beatriz Magaloni

Beatriz Magaloni is a professor of political science and senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University. Her research focuses on the political economy of development. Her work has focused on Latin America and falls into four themes: the study of authoritarian regimes; distributive politics; “traditional” forms of governance and non-state provision of public goods; and drug-trafficking violence, public security and human rights. 

She is the founding director of the Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab. The lab establishes partnerships with government agencies, police departments, and civil society organizations to conduct research. By engaging researchers and students, the lab aims to generate knowledge about effective methods of controlling violence, improve the functioning and accountability of security institutions, restraining human rights abuses, and increasing opportunities for at-risk youth.

In addition to her work with the Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab, Professor Magaloni is the author of the award-winning book, Voting for Autocracy, and a co-author of The Political Logic of Poverty Relief: Electoral Strategies and Social Policy in Mexico. She holds an MA and PhD from Duke University.