Carolina Arboleda Lenis
Political economy · Development economics · Latin America
I am a second-year PhD candidate at the Sorbonne School of Economics, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, supervised by Prof. Lisa Chauvet and Prof. Julieta Peveri.
My research is in political economy and development economics. I study how politics can operate as an informal insurance mechanism in contexts where state-provided safety nets are limited. My current work focuses on clientelism, party systems, and political behavior from the perspective of clients.
I also work on informal settlements, their political behavior, and the strategies households use to manage risk. Empirically, my projects combine applied econometrics, administrative and electoral data, and spatial analysis.
Research Focus
Political Fragmentation
Party competition, clientelism, and electoral behavior in local politics.
Urban Vulnerability
Informal settlements, slum upgrading, political linkages.
Organized Crime
Support for narcopoliticians as informal insurance for coca farmers.
I hold a Master’s degree in Economics, with an emphasis on Development Economics, from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali, Colombia.