In my doctoral (UBC) and post-doctoral (STANCE, Lund) work, I have studied the development of the modern state during the 19th and 20th centuries. I am currently working on a book manuscript on the role of national legislatures in the development of modern states in Europe and the Americas.
I have a strong interest on the empirical study of deliberative democracy, especially from an institutionalist perspective. From 2018 to 2023, I led a project on the “Deliberative Capacity of Democratic Systems”. The project aims to (1) identify the institutional characteristics of public spheres among contemporary democracies, (2) explain historically this institutional variation, and (3) examine the effects of institutional differences on the quality of democracy and democratic attitudes.
Relatedly, I am also part of several projects on the tensions between different normative ideals (e.g., popular sovereignty, freedom, solidarity, social justice, etc.) related to democracy and how these tensions shape democratic attitudes and public policies.
Agustín Goenaga 