Manuel Alcántara

Manuel Alcántara, professor in the Department of General Public Law at the University of Salamanca, is joining Kellogg for the 2007 fall semester. His research interests include: evolution of Latin American party systems; political elites and legislative powers in Latin America; conditions favoring democratization; and governability and performance of democratic regimes.

While at Kellogg, Alcántara will focus his research on determining the quality of political leaders in Latin America. He plans to develop a framework of analysis, applicable to Latin America, by which to evaluate the quality of politicians in terms of their competence and integrity in their positions. His research will look beyond institutional factors and instead consider more individual-level variables such as a ‘political persona.’

Alcántara is coming to Kellogg as a Visiting Fellow for the second time; he conducted research here during the 2000 fall semester as well. During that time, he developed most of his book, ¿Instituciones o máquinas ideológicas? Origen, programa y organización de los partidos latinoamericanos (ICPS, 2004).

Alcántara holds a PhD from the Universidad Complutense Madrid.