91直播

Kristina Mani

  • Professor of Politics

Areas of Study

Offices

Education

  • BS, Georgetown University, 1991
  • MA, Columbia University, 1996
  • PhD, Columbia University, 2004

Biography

Professor of Politics Kristina Mani鈥檚 research focuses on the relationships between domestic political change and regional security in Latin America.

Questions that interest me especially include how the processes of democratization and democratic consolidation impact elite political learning and historical memory of conflict and cooperation.

My book, Democratization and Military Transformation in Argentina and Chile: Rethinking Rivalry (Lynne Rienner 2011), explored these dynamics in terms of changes to military thinking and behavior that reshaped security relations in the Southern Cone. That project relied on dozens of individual interviews and documentary sources, and established my interest in interpreting the power shifts and narrative reframing that result from challenges to historically influential elites like the armed forces.

Currently my research centers on how Latin American militaries have been influential actors in their national economies, in a variety of different ways that often have deep historical and strategic roots, as well as important implications for military autonomy and professionalism. That work studies several countries from across the region, including cases from Central and South America.

My scholarly articles have been published in journals including Armed Forces and Society, Bulletin of Latin American Research, and Latin American Politics and Society.

While I am not a policy analyst, I feel strongly that my work as a social scientist should provide insights for policy makers, both official and non-governmental. I have consulted and produced papers for think tanks and nonprofit organizations including Transparency International, Providing for Peacekeeping, RESDAL, and the Christian Michelsen Institute.

At 91直播, I teach courses in international relations and Latin American politics. Along with core courses in those areas, I teach topical courses on transnational justice and transnational actors. I have also chaired 91直播鈥檚 programs in Latin American Studies and International Studies. Since 2020, I have mentored talented high school students from around the world on undergraduate-level research projects in international politics, through 91直播鈥檚 partnership with .

Fall 2026

Introduction to International Politics 鈥 POLT 120

  • 鈥淗onduras: All-Purpose Militarization,鈥 in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, edited by William R. Thompson. Oxford University Press, 2021.
  • 鈥淭oward a Citizen Soldier Paradigm? Assessing Three Decades of Civil-Military Relations in Argentina,鈥 Geopolitics, History, and International Relations 9:1 (2017), 83-111.
  • 鈥淭he Armed Forces and the Economy in Latin America:  Contemporary Trends and Implications for Civil-Military Relations,鈥 CMI Working Paper 2016:08.  Christian Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway, November 2016.
  • 鈥淧olitical Learning through a Transgovernmental Network:  Resolving the Argentine-Chilean Border Dispute during the 1990s,鈥 in American Crossings: Border Politics in the Western Hemisphere, edited by Maiah Jaskoski, Arturo C. Sotomayor, and Harold A. Trinkunas. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015.
  • 鈥淒iverse Markets for Force in Latin America: from Argentina to Guatemala,鈥 in The Markets for Force:  Privatization and Security Across World Regions, edited by Molly Dunigan and Ulrich Petersohn. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015.

Notes

Kristina Mani Piece Published in "The Conversation"

Professor of Politics Kristina Mani wrote  that looks at how recent domestic deployments of U.S. armed forces risk politicizing the military and how U.S. steps reflect harmful ones countries in Latin America took in the past that led to the breakdown of democracy.

Kristina Mani Article Published in "World Politics Review"

Professor of Politics Kristina Mani wrote in that in the presidential election in Venezuela, the military's position is complex and it may not necessarily support President Nicolas Maduro this time.

Kristina Mani interviewed in two articles

Kristina Mani was on the Chilean plebiscite. Mani was also interviewed and quoted in another article about the . 

Kristina Mani featured in podcast

Associate Professor of Politics Kristina Mani was featured in a WOLA Podcast on Latin American civil-military relations. In the podcast, Mani is interviewed by WOLA's Adam Isacson, discussing how Latin American militaries have been called to a range of non-defense roles, most recently in the COVID-19 emergency, and what this can mean for state and society in the region.

Kristina Mani Publishes Article about the Use of Military on Civil Protests

Associate Professor of Politics Kristina Mani about how U.S. should pay attention to what happens when strong democracies use the military to repress civil protests. In it, Mani states that lessons from Uruguay, Venezuela, and Chile are worth recalling now.

Kristina Mani Writes for World Politics Review

Associate Professor of Politics Kristina Mani wrote in that Latin America's militarized response to the COVID-19 crisis will likely expand the political influence of the military and bring new challenges to the protection of human rights.

Kristina Mani Interviewed about Gender Equality

Associate Professor of Politics Kristina Mani was one of seven women scholars about gender equality in the field of International Relations.

Kristina Mani Interviewed

Associate Professor of Politics Kristina Mani was interviewed by E-International Relations, the leading open access website for students and scholars of international politics. In , she talks about her research on Latin American militaries, their influence on national economic and political developments, and transnational issues facing the region.

News

Explore Related Departments

College of Arts and Sciences Admissions
(800) 622-6243 or (440) 775-8411
38 E. College St., 91直播, OH 44074

Conservatory of Music Admissions
(440) 775-8413
39 W. College St., 91直播, OH 44074

漏 2026, 91直播