Destiny Saucedo
Examining Security Institutions and Violent Instability (Constitutional Legal Frameworks)
This summer I will be continuing my work with Dr. Matanock as a research assistant. My primary job is to take information listed in the constitutions of selected countries and code them. The coding protocol focuses on variables that can be coded using country’s constitutions and amendments. Our data set covers developing countries between 1980 and 2017, and we seek to capture provisions regarding the military, security forces, national security councils/units, intelligence units, and legislative oversight regarding a state’s defense forces. This project is conducted alongside two other professors, whose research teams are coding complementary information from sources outside of the constitutional framework of a state. Our project, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, is designed to explain why some states’ security institutions are more effective than others.
Message To Sponsor
To our donors - I am extremely humbled and above all else grateful for this opportunity to continue work I am passionate about, and get paid for it. I am a first-generation university student from a lower-middle income family; despite my dedication to school, financial concerns have always been a burden that made achieving my goals that much more difficult, which unfortunately is a reality that many students live with. This summer stipend helps to alleviate some of the financial burden and is a rewarding reminder that truly anyone, no matter their background, can go on to be a successful and determined student. Thank you so much for this.