Michael Albertus
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Op-eds and Opinion Pieces

I have written a number of op-eds for popular media outlets based on my research.
  • “The Key to Renormalizing US-Cuba Relations.” Project Syndicate (6/9/2022).
  • “Chile’s election will define its national identity and political struggles all over Latin America.” Washington Post (12/13/2021).
  • “Peru’s New President Isn’t as Radical as He Looks.” Foreign Policy (6/14/2021).
  • “Chile’s Constitution is Too New for its Own Good.” Foreign Policy (5/21/2021).
  • “There would probably be more yawns than outrage if Biden expanded the Supreme Court.” Washington Post, “The Monkey Cage” (4/20/2021).
  • “How Authoritarians Turn Rural Areas Into Their Strongholds.” The Atlantic (4/11/2021).
  • “Peru’s Election is About to Make its Problems Worse.” Foreign Policy (4/8/2021).
  • "The Time to Return Land to Native Americans is Long Overdue." The Hill (3/9/2021).
  • "Why Trump's Border Wall Failed." Washington Post, "The Monkey Cage" (2/17/2021).
  • "Peru Needs a New Constitution." Foreign Policy (12/1/2020).
  • “Will Chile Set an Example for True Democracy?” New York Times (10/19/2020).
  • “Americans Are Officially Giving Up on Democracy.” Foreign Policy (10/16/2020).
  • "Don’t Give Zimbabwe’s Government Aid Until it Gets Serious About Land Reform." Foreign Policy (8/11/2020).
  • “The pandemic challenges democracies – but really hurts dictators.” Washington Post, "The Monkey Cage" (4/30/2020).
  • "The Coronavirus Will Cause New Crises in Latin America." Foreign Policy (4/6/2020).
  • "Pinochet Still Looms Large in Chilean Politics." Foreign Policy (11/5/2019).
  • "Guaido's Make or Break Moment." Foreign Policy (4/30/2019).
  • "There is Still a Way Out of Venezuela's Stalemate." Foreign Policy (2/26/2019).
  • "Venezuela’s Best Path to Democracy? Pay Off the Military." New York Times (1/30/2019).
  • "Chávez's Real Legacy is Disaster." Foreign Policy (12/6/2018).
  • "The Military Is Back in Brazil." Foreign Policy (10/29/2018).
  • "The Military Returns to Brazilian Politics." Foreign Policy (10/8/2018).
  • "There's a Better Way to Take White Farmers' Land." Foriegn Policy (8/27/2018).
  • "Latin America's New Authoritarianism." Slate (5/21/2018).
  • "Why Are So Many Democracies Breaking Down?" New York Times (5/8/2018).
  • "Crony capitalism and protectionism are the despot's way." Seattle Times (4/20/2018).
  • "How flawed constitutions undermine democracy." Washington Post, "The Monkey Cage" (2/26/2018).
  • "Even with a new Colombian peace deal, what happens in the countryside?" Washington Post, "The Monkey Cage" (11/13/2016).
  • "Here are the 3 (big!) challenges facing Peru's next president." Washington Post, “The Monkey Cage” (4/12/2016).
  • "This Land Was Your Land." Foreign Policy (11/13/2015).
  • "The Key to Peace in Colombia is in its Countryside." Forbes (10/29/2015).
  • "Piketty thinks South Africa needs to redistribute land. Democracies can't do that. Dictatorships can." Washington Post, “The Monkey Cage” (10/20/2015).
  • "Land and Conflict in Brazil." International Relations and Security Network (9/2/2014). 
  • “Capitalism Need Not Churn Inexorably Toward Higher Inequality.” London School of Economics, “Politics and Policy Blog” (7/28/2014). 
  • "Land Reform and Rural Conflict in the Developing World." International Relations and Security Network (Week of 6/2/2014). 
  • "How Democracies are Gamed for Power and Profit: An Addendum to Picketty’s ‘Capital’." Washington Post, “The Monkey Cage” (5/27/2014). 
  • "A Glimmer of Hope for Democracy in Egypt." Seattle Times (1/31/2014). 
  • "Why Egypt’s New Constitution May Not Turn Out As Badly As You Think." Washington Post, “The Monkey Cage” (1/16/2014). 
  • "South Africa, Unequal by Design." Foreign Policy (1/3/2014). 
  • "The Odds are Good for Egypt." Foreign Policy (7/18/2013). 
  • "Land for Peace in Colombia." Foreign Affairs (4/16/2013). 
  • "Aftermath of Revolution." New York Times, Global/IHT (2/14/2013). 
  • "Chávez Rides Again" Foreign Policy (10/10/2012).
  • "Colombia's Rebels and Land Reform" New York Times (10/9/2012).  
  • "Burma Can Bring It: Burma faces an uphill climb in its transition to democracy. But the odds may be better than you think." Foreign Policy  (5/14/2012). 
  • "Needles Into Ploughshares: Want to fight Latin America's drug problem? Try land refom." Foreign Policy (4/12/2012). 
  • "For Enduring Democracies, Revolutions are the Best Bet" USA Today (3/2/2011). 

Selected Coverage of Research

  • My book "Autocracy and Redistribution: The Politics of Land Reform," was reviewed in Foriegn Affairs and International Affairs
  • My book and op-ed on South Africa were covered by Landesa.
  • My book "Autocracy and Redistribution: The Politics of Land Reform," was discussed in the Democracy Digest.
  • My paper “Gaming Democracy: Elite Dominance During Transition and Prospects for Redistribution”, was featured in Brad DeLong's blog "Grasping Reality." 
  • My paper, “Explaining Patterns of Redistribution Under Autocracy: The Case of Peru's Revolution from Above”,  is cited in USAID’s Land Tenure and Property Rights Peru Country Profile.
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