Britta Crandall

I am the co-author of Our Hemisphere? (Yale University Press, 2021), and author of Hemispheric Giants: The Misunderstood History of U.S.-Brazilian Relations (Rowman and Littlefield, 2011). I have also authored shorter pieces on Latin America's political economy, including analysis of pension reform in Chile and dollarization in Ecuador and El Salvador. My current teaching and research interests include income inequality, institutions, and social mobility, particularly in the context of Central America. Prior to teaching at Davidson, I was associate director for Latin American sovereign risk analysis at Bank One in Chicago and worked as an international program examiner for the Office of Management and Budget, the budget arm of the White House. I recently completed a decade-long role as South America analyst for Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world.

My teaching and research interests converge on international political economy issues, particularly as it pertains to Latin America. In my courses, I emphasize the strong connection between politics and economics, repeatedly making the argument to students that they cannot understand one without the other.  My instruction includes the study of contemporary politics, as well as international monetary and trade economic theory, and how they're applied in the global economy.

Teaching

• ECO 288 International Political Economy
• ECO 234 Latin American Economic Development
• POL 420 Politics and Economics of Panama
• POL 354/LAS 222 Political Economy of the Southern Cone
• POL 344/LAS 220 Politics and Economics of Brazil
• LAS 101 Introduction to Latin American Studies