in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nima graduated in August 2007 and is now working in the
in Washington, D.C.
Does political democracy lead to economic development, or does development promote democracy? This is the main question I have explored through a vigorous plan of study in economics, history, and political science as a UConn undergraduate. My year in Argentina was an opportunity to explore the dilemma between democracy and development in a country that, over the past half century, has suffered a process of severe regression under both military and democratic governments, largely due to pervasive corruption.
During my junior year at UCEMA, I collaborated with a number of professors, including Carlos Escude, a former advisor to the Argentine Foreign Ministry, to research and write what has culminated in my Honors thesis entitled "Governability Crisis, Piqueteros, and Public Policymaking: The Case of Argentina." The paper examines the rise and evolution of picketing organizations of the poor and unemployed in Argentina, the so-called "piqueteros," which peaked during the financial and political collapse of December 2001, and its implications for institutions of governance.
In addition to academic work, the flexibility of my individualized major and study abroad programs allowed me to volunteer at the Social Orientation Office of the Salvation Army in Buenos Aires, and intern at Weber Shandwick/Nueva Comunicacion, a political consulting and opinion research firm. When not at work, I made trips to southern Argentina and neighboring Uruguay and Brazil. The combination of research, field work, and travel helped me understand the nuances of Argentine politics and culture and their relevance to the democracy-development paradox. More important, my ventures abroad have opened my eyes to a whole new me.
Buenos Aires, Argentina