Kenneth M. Roberts

Kenneth M. Roberts is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in comparative democracy, Latin American political economy, and the intersection of populism, social movements, and inequality. Roberts holds leadership roles including former Senior Associate Dean for the Social Sciences and directorships in Cornell’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies program and the Institute for the Social Sciences.

Roberts earned his Ph.D. in comparative and Latin American politics from Stanford University. His research focuses on democratic resilience, polarization, and crises of democracy globally, with a regional emphasis on Latin America. Notable works include Democratic Resilience: Can the United States Withstand Rising Polarization? (Cambridge 2021) and Changing Course in Latin America: Party Systems in the Neoliberal Era (Cambridge 2014).

His academic engagements include visiting fellowships at institutions like the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton) and the Scuola Normale Superiore (Florence). Roberts contributes actively to global democracy initiatives through the American Democracy Collaborative, analyzing threats to democratic institutions in the U.S. and beyond.