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Erika Moreno, PhD

Chair, Department of Political Science and International Relations

Professor

Contact

ErikaMoreno@creighton.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Political Science
EPLY - Eppley Building - 325

Erika Moreno, PhD

Chair, Department of Political Science and International Relations

Professor

Dr. Moreno is trained as a comparative political scientist, with a specialization in Latin American politics.  Her scholarly interests focus on democratic institutions and interbranch relations and their implications for democratic accountability and representation.

Recently, Dr. Moreno has been researching and writing about the work of accountability agencies across the Americas. Here, she has focused on the inner workings an impact of Human Rights Ombudsman offices on human rights provisions across the region. Here research, which is quantative in nature, has examined how these agencies have impacted improvements in human rights across the region. The work is complemented with several in depth case studies of the agency in Bolivia and Colombia.

Moreno's work on Latin American politics has appeared in a variety of venues including book manuscripts, peer-reviewed research articles, reviews, and book chapters.  Her work has appeared in peer reviewed journals, including Comparative Political Studes, Electoral Studies, the Bulletin of Latin American Research and Legislative Studies Quarterly.  She has also contributed to chapters in edited book manuscripts published by Notre Dame press, Oxford University Press, and Pennsylvania State Press on topics that include the Colombian peace process, government institutions and accountability, and the Columbian political system.

Although her primary focus is democracy and its institutions, she has also worked on topics that have addressed stability of regimes (democracy and autocracy), political transitions, and the role of regime characteristics on economic outcomes.  For instance, Dr. Moreno was part of the Creighton University team (with Associate Political Science Professor Richard Witmer, Associate Dean of the Law School Mike Kelly, Director of the Werner Center, Patrick Borchers) that wrote the Report on the Resolution of Outstanding Property Claims Between Cuba and the United States (Creighton University Press 2007).  The report which proposes the creation of a mechanism to settle outstanding property claims by Americans against the Cuban government, was commissioned by the United States Agency of International Development and supported by a $750,000 grant.

In her spare time, Dr. Moreno enjoys running, kayaking, and spending time with her family.
 

Teaching Interests

  • Comparative Politics

Research Focus

  • Comparative politics
  • Democracy
  • Latin America
  • Interbranch relations and government accountability
  • Human rights

Department

Political Science and International Relations

Position

Professor

Books

  • From Justitieombudsman to Defensor del Pueblo: Human Rights Ombudsmen in Latin America. 2020
  • Cuban Affairs
    Report on the Resolution of Outstanding Property Claims Between Cuba and Spain. (With Patrick J. Borchers, Michael J. Kelly, and Richard C. Witmer). In Press 2015
  • The Quality of Democracy in Latin America: Theory and Cases
    Moreno, E. Colombia: the Detrimental Effects of Violence 2011
  • Pathways to Power: Political Recruitment and Democracy in Latin America.
    Moreno, Erika, Escobar-Lemmon, M. Mejor Solo que Mal Acompañado: Political Entrepreneurs in Colombia, p. 119-142 2008
  • Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Colombia
    Moreno, E., Shugart, M. S., Fajarado, L. Deepening Democracy by Renovating Political Practices: The Struggle for Electoral Reform in Colombia 2007

Articles

  • Handbook of Latin American Studies
    “Government and Politics: Colombia.”
    74 2019
  • Handbook of Latin American Studies
    “Government and Politics: Colombia.”
    75 2018
  • Panoramas
    “The Defensoria del Pueblo: Public Advocate for Human Rights in the Americas.” 2017
  • Latin American Politics and Society
    “The Contributions of the Ombudsman to Human Rights in Latin America, 1982-2011”
    58(1), p. 98-120 2016
  • Latin American Policy
    “Improving the Democratic Brand through Institution Building: Ombudsmen and Corruption in Latin America, 2000-2011.”
    7(1), p. 126-146 2016
  • Politics and Policy
    "Where Capacity and Incentives Meet: Presidential Authority and Property Rights in Latin America."
    43(3), p. 315-346 2015
  • Human Rights Review
    "The Power of the Pen: Human Rights Offices Improve Human Rights Provisions in Latin America?”
    17(2), p. 143-164 2015
  • Latin American Politics and Society
    Moreno, Erika Precarious Democracies: Understanding Regime Stability and Change in Colombia and Venezuela
    55, p. 181-183 2013
  • Social Science Journal
    Moreno, E. Platforms, Policy and the Bottom' Line: What do 'New' Parties Value in Colombia and Venezuela?
    50, p. 189-194 2013
  • Social Science Journal
    Moreno, Erika Policy mandates and re-election among single issue parties
    50, p. 189-194 2013
  • Bulletin of Latin American Research
    Moreno, E. Reclaiming Latin America: Experiments in Radical Social Democracy [Book Review]
    30, p. 373-374 2011
  • Bulletin of Latin American Research
    Moreno, Erika Reclaiming Latin America: Experiments in radical social democracy [book review]
    30, p. 373-374 2011
  • Electoral Studies
    Moreno, E. Election Note: Colombia?..s 2010 Presidential and Legislative Elections
    30, p. 571-575 2011
  • Comparative Political Studies
    Moreno, Erika Voting Amid Violence: Electoral Democracy in Colombia.
    43, p. 411-414 2010
  • Comparative Political Studies
    Moreno, E. Review: Voting Amid Violence: Electoral Democracy in Colombia [Book Review]
    43, p. 411-414 2010
  • Comparative Political Studies
    Thyne, Clayton, Moreno, Erika Squeaky Wheels and Uneqal Policy: Executive Authority and Education Reform in Latin America
    41, p. 921-946 2008
  • Creighton Law Review
    Borchers, Patrick J., Kelly, Michael J., Moreno, Erika, Witmer, Richard C., Wunsch, James S., Pearlstein, Arthur Executive summary: Report on the resolution of outstanding property claims between Cuba & the United States
    41, p. 207-218 2008
  • Cuban Affairs
    Witmer, Richard C., Moreno, Erika, Borchers, Patrick J., Kelly, Michael J. A proposed property claims settlement mechanism for the United States and Cuba
    2, p. 11-Jan 2007
  • Electoral Studies
    Moreno, E. Whither the Colombian two party system: An assessment of electoral reforms and their limits
    24, p. 485-509 2005

Editing and Reviews

  • Oxford University Press
    Kelly, Michael; Moreno, Erika; WItmer, Richard, The Cuba-US Bilateral Relationship: New Pathways and Policy Choices 2019

Presentations

  • "The Missing Link? Citizens and the Ombudsman in Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador" (with Bianca Mejia-Jinete.) Paper prepared for the Southern Political Science Association Meeting. New Orleans, LA. January 14-17, 2015. 2015
  • "Where there is will there is an Agency: Corruption and the Ombudsman in Latin America." Paper prepared for the Midwestern Political Science Association Meeting. Chicago, IL. April 3-6, 2014. 2014
  • "From Justitie ombudsman to Defensor del Pueblo: Institutional Design in the Human Rights Ombudsman Office Across Latin America." Paper prepared for the Midwestern Political Science Association Meeting. Chicago, IL. April 12-14, 2013. 2013
  • "Human Rights Ombudsmen in Latin America: Institutional Sources of Independence (or lack thereof), 1950-2011." Paper prepared for the Midwestern Political Science Association Meeting. Chicago, IL. April 12-14, 2012 2012
  • "Mere Window Dressing? Human Rights Ombudsmen and Personal Integrity Violations in Latin America, 1982-2006." ". Paper prepared for the 67th Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference. Chicago, IL. March 31- April 3, 2011. 2011
  • "Mere Window Dressing? Human Rights Ombudsmen and Personal Integrity Violations in Latin America, 1982-2006." (With Richard Witmer, II) Paper prepared for the Southwestern Social Science Association Conference. Las Vegas, NV. March 16-19, 2011. 2011

Foundation/Association

  • Grupo 1898/ Praedium Law Firm (Barcelona, Spain). [Co-Principal Investigator] Resolution of Property Rights in Cuba for Spanish Citizens. $100,000 (Summer-Fall 2011).

  • Haddix Faculty Research Grant. Creighton University. (Proposal Title: An Effective Instrument or Mere Window Dressing: An Examination of the Ombudsman Office in Latin America.)

Other

  • Teaching and Learning Center Grant. Creighton University. 2018. (Proposal Title: Engagement through Dialogue? A Proposal to Study the Effectiveness of Deliberative Dialogues (DD) to Foster Civic Education and Engagement.)

  • Academic Affairs Research Initiative Grant. Creighton University. (Proposal Title: Regimes and the Protection of Property Rights: An Empirical Examination). To conduct additional data collection and research into the links between economics (property rights) and democratic institutions.

Awards

  • CCAS Excellence Award (Service)
    Creighton College of Arts and Sciences
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