Vanessa Cheng-Matsuno

Bio

I'm a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Public Policy and Administration at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Southampton. I received my PhD in Political Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2024.

I study the political behaviour of elites, both elected officials and bureaucrats, and how their interactions shape the quality of public policy. Furthermore, I also examine how elite behaviour influences public opinion and citizen evaluations of the state. My doctoral dissertation explored these questions in the context of political crises, showing how uncertainty affects both elite decision-making and voters' preferences. My research focuses primarily on Latin America.

Methodologically, I mainly employ experiments and causal inference methods. Beyond elite behaviour, I also study electoral mobilisation and democratic innovations using such approaches.

Prior to joining LSE, I completed a Master in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard University and a Bachelor in Economics from Universidad del Pacífico. I have worked as a researcher in governance issues for The World Bank, J-PAL Latin America, the Inter-American Development Bank, and as a civil servant in Peru. Several of my research questions emerged out of my experience as a practitioner of public policy in the Global South.

You can find my CV here.