Fabian Borges Herrero

I specialize in comparative politics and international political economy with a regional focus on Latin America. More specifically, my research explores two central topics within comparative politics and political economy: the politics of social policy under globalization and the role of legislatures in shaping major economic reforms. My research has been published in Comparative Politics, Government and Opposition, Latin American Politics and Society, Revista de Ciencia Política, and International Studies Perspectives.

My book, entitled Human Capital vs. Basic Income: Ideology and Models of Cash Transfer Programs in Latin America (University of Michigan Press, 2022), studies how presidential ideology influences the adoption and design of social policy in that region. Combining quantitative analyses covering the entire region and case studies on Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, and Costa Rica based largely on field research, it examines the relationship between the election of left-leaning presidents and the widespread adoption of conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs. Described as the most important innovation in social policy of the last fifteen years, CCTs relieve poverty by awarding families regular stipends conditional on their children attending school.

Originally from San José, Costa Rica, I worked for five years (2002-2006) as a politics and business reporter there covering presidential cabinet meetings and the negotiation and implementation of the Central American Free-Trade Agreement, among other topics.