The Rise and Stall of Infrastructure in Latin America with Political Scientist Alisha Holland

In this episode of Global Stage, political scientist Alisha Holland, Gates Professor of Developing Societies at Harvard University’s Department of Government, describes elements of her book project on the rise and stall of infrastructure projects in Latin America. In conversation with Kellogg Doctoral Affiliate Patrick McQuestion, Holland describes the discursive transition from traditional public works to public-private infrastructure partnerships and the risks involved in financing and overseeing these projects today. In countries like Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, major infrastructure contracts can be leveraged by government executives to finance electoral campaigns and other political goals. But these high-level forms of corruption can be interrupted by scandals, inhibitory institutions, and civil resistance, stalling construction sometimes for years. Holland describes her approach to studying infrastructure in the field, providing valuable insight into multimethod research at work.