Hello! My name is Andrés Schelp. I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Northwestern University. My primary subfield is International Relations.
Hello! My name is Andrés Schelp. I am a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Northwestern University. My primary subfield is International Relations.
My research examines how global assessments of countries’ political regimes and economic performance socially pressure states. I study global performance indicators (GPIs) and comparative benchmarks, examining how these assessments are constructed and the extent to which they can subtly influence states' reputations, foreign policy decision-making, and domestic governance evaluations.
In my dissertation, I analyze the political implications of democracy indices and their connection to states' foreign policy through a mixed-methods study of the Freedom in the World (FITW) report, as a democratic GPI influential case. First, I examine how evaluations from U.S. foreign policy elites relate to the assessments and classification criteria used by the FITW. Building on these findings, I explore the extent to which these democracy ratings translate into tangible political consequences for both positively and negatively assessed countries by examining whether they condition U.S. developmental and diplomatic policies toward evaluated states.
My research examines how global assessments of countries’ political regimes and economic performance socially pressure states. I study global performance indicators (GPIs) and comparative benchmarks, examining how these assessments are constructed and the extent to which they can subtly influence states' reputations, foreign policy decision-making, and domestic governance evaluations.
In my dissertation, I analyze the political implications of democracy indices and their connection to states' foreign policy through a mixed-methods study of the Freedom in the World (FITW) report, as a democratic GPI influential case. First, I examine how evaluations from U.S. foreign policy elites relate to the assessments and classification criteria used by the FITW. Building on these findings, I explore the extent to which these democracy ratings translate into tangible political consequences for both positively and negatively assessed countries by examining whether they condition U.S. developmental and diplomatic policies toward evaluated states.
How ideational influences and informational cues shape perceptions and social knowledge of countries' and their leaders' performance is a central focus of my research. In my work, I draw on diverse statistical methods, survey experiments, and qualitative inferences grounded in archival research and interviews.
How ideational influences and informational cues shape perceptions and social knowledge of countries' and their leaders' performance is a central focus of my research. In my work, I draw on diverse statistical methods, survey experiments, and qualitative inferences grounded in archival research and interviews.
Before coming to Northwestern, I worked as an academic assistant at the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), a preeminent Latin American think tank advising on foreign policy and multilateral diplomacy. I received my B.A. from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina, 2016) and my M.A. in International Politics and Economy from San Andrés University (Argentina, 2021).
Before coming to Northwestern, I worked as an academic assistant at the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), a preeminent Latin American think tank advising on foreign policy and multilateral diplomacy. I received my B.A. from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina, 2016) and my M.A. in International Politics and Economy from San Andrés University (Argentina, 2021).