Craig Arceneaux

Photograph of Professor Craig Arceneaux

Fields

  • Latin American Politics
  • Comparative Political Institutions
  • Democratic Transitions
  • Civil-Military Relations

Contact Information

I joined the faculty in 2001 after completing my M.A. at The Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) and my Ph.D. and University of California, Riverside. I have published two books, one on military regimes and democratic transitions in South America (Bounded Missions (Penn State Press, 2001)) and another on the impact of international influences on political change in Latin America (with David Pion-Berlin, Transforming Latin America (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005)). Other work I have done on various Latin American issues has been published in Comparative Political Studies, Bulletin of Latin American Studies, Armed Forces and Society, and the Journal of Political and Military Sociology. My most recent publication can be found in the Summer 2007 edition of Latin American Politics and Society. Co-authored with David Pion-Berlin, the article examines how efforts by the Organization of American States to support democratic consolidations often backfire. I have also contributed chapters on Latin American Politics to edited books, such as The Other World (Longman, 2006), a volume first published some time ago by Cal Poly faculty here in the Department of Political Science. I am currently working on a book that compares political institutions in Latin America.

Students at Cal Poly see me in classes such as Politics of Developing Areas, Peace and War, Comparative Political Regimes, and Introduction to International Relations. But some of the most gratifying educational experiences (for me and the students alike!) come outside of the classroom. I coordinate the Model United Nations program, and have brought students to MUN conferences in Long Beach, San Francisco, Ottawa, and Boston. I participated in the Study Abroad program in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and have worked with Jim Keese in Social Sciences to develop a new Study Abroad program in Cusco, Peru. This program is part of a larger effort to develop a Latin American Studies Program. Jim and I have already developed a minor in Latin American Studies, some internship opportunities for students in Mexico and Brazil, and have invited several speakers to campus to speak on Latin American issues. Programs such as these complement and extend the educational experience for students, and it has been my pleasure to participate in them.

Beyond the university, I make every effort to take advantage of the outdoor opportunities offered on the Central Coast. I hike, bike, kayak, run, fish and bird. I am also an avid Dodger fan, and never think twice about taking the 200 mile journey south for a bite to eat in Chinatown or a French dip sandwich at Philippe's before an afternoon game on the weekend. And I really enjoy listening to Blue Oyster Cult.

Click to download Craig Arceneaux's Curriculum Vitae (Word Doc)