Michelle Morais de Sa e Silva

Michelle Morais de Sa e Silva is the Wick Cary Associate Professor of International and Area Studies at the University of Oklahoma's David L. Boren College of International Studies, where she also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Brazil Studies. She holds a PhD and has held prior roles including Head of Graduate Programs at Brazil’s National School of Public Administration and Director of International Cooperation at Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights. Dr. Morais has extensive experience consulting for UNESCO and the Organization of American States.

Education and Academic Background:

• PhD in Political Science (not specified the granting institution)
• Post-doctoral studies at Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy

Research Focus:

Her work centers on public policy dynamics in contexts of democratic backsliding, focusing on authoritarian policy dismantling, South-South cooperation mechanisms, and the intersection of human rights with bureaucratic governance. Key areas include:

• Policy transfer processes
• Populist governance strategies
• Bureaucratic resistance under authoritarianism
• Conditional cash transfer programs

Recent Scholarly Trends:

Recent publications (2020-2024) emphasize analysis of Brazil under Bolsonaro, exploring how authoritarian governments manipulate policy processes through bureaucratic capacity erosion. She also examines South-South cooperation resilience and the evolving role of international organizations in rights advocacy.

Professional Contributions:

• Co-editor, International Review of Public Policy
• Associate editor, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis
• Vice President (former) and Executive Committee member of the International Public Policy Association (IPPA)

Specialized Expertise:

Her work bridges comparative policy analysis with critical studies of democratic decline, offering frameworks to understand how policy processes are distorted under illiberal regimes. Current research includes a forthcoming volume on policy-making during democratic backsliding.