Lucie Kneip ‘23

This profile was current as of May 2023, when she was part of the on-campus Kellogg community.

Lucie Kneip is a political science and global affairs major, her research interests include political legitimacy and instability in Latin America, transnational migration, and defense and foreign policy. Kneip pinpoints her experience working with immigrants and refugees on the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018 as a revelatory moment, as she was challenged to examine the failures of political systems in providing basic rights and protections to individuals.

She is currently spearheading her own project under that explores the organizational patterns of civil society organizations in Latin America and their efficacy as insulators of democracy. Through her research, she is analyzing data from Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) and other sources to identify indicators that promote a robust and diverse civil society capable of reinforcing democratic institutions.

Kneip has previously worked with Dr. Aníbal Pérez-Liñán to develop a book chapter on judicial tenure and retirement and institutional design. Through her research with Dr. Pérez-Liñán, Kneip analyzed the efficacy of various judicial designs and identified regional and structural trends that influence the independence of courts. In addition to being an International Scholar, Kneip is a member of the Glynn Family Honors Program.