#  Aaron Watanabe 

 

 



   ![Aaron Watanabe GSA](/sites/g/files/omnuum12451/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/2026-07/Aaron%20Watanabe.jpg?h=75920b6a&itok=R3fE6s-x) 

 



 





 

Aaron Watanabe is a PhD candidate in the Department of Government. His research examines democratic backsliding, political elites, and the comparative politics of Latin America with a focus on Brazil and Peru. His dissertation examines why democracies break down under populist leaders. He was a 2024 Fulbright-Hays scholar and earned his AB from Harvard University as well as an MPhil in Latin American studies from the University of Oxford.



 

 

 





 

 

- ## Academic Year
    
     [2026-2027](/academic-year/2026-2027)
- ## People
    
     [Graduate Student Associate](/people/graduate-student-associate)