Later this year, Princeton University Press will publish our book “Migration and Democracy: How Remittances Undermine Dictatorship.” (with Abel Escribà-Folch and Joseph Wright). Migration and Democracy focuses on the effects of worker remittances—money sent by migrants back to their home countries—and how these resources shape political action in the Global South. Remittances are not only the … More Forthcoming book and Foreign Affairs piece

The resource mobilization theory has long emphasized the role of resources in facilitating collective mobilization. In turn, recent research on crime and insecurity in Mexico has drawn attention to the role of local networks of solidarity in facilitating mobilization against crime. We rely on these two literatures to propose that remittances — that is, the resources … More New Publication in International Migration Review

My article “Return migration, crime, and electoral engagement in Mexico” co-authored with Prof. Christian Ambrosius (UNAM, Mexico and Free University Berlin) has now been published in Electoral Studies. In this article, we contribute to the debate on the positive or negative political impact of return migrants using municipal data on voter turnout and on rates … More New Publication in Electoral Studies

Our paper “Remittances, Exchange Rates, and Central Bank Independence” was recently published in Oxford Development Studies. This is work in co-authorship with Carolina Garriga-Phillips (Essex University). In this paper, we explore how remittances affect the choice of exchange rate regimes. Previous research shows that remittances, by easing the ‘impossible trinity’, increase the probability of governments … More New Publication in Oxford Development Studies

Our paper “Family Remittances and Vigilantism in Mexico” (co-authored with Sandra Ley (CIDE) and Eduardo Ibarra-Olivo (LSE)) was recently published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. We explore the role of workers’ remittances in supporting vigilante organisations in Mexico. Research on remittances posits both a positive and a negative effect on collective action … More New Publication in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies