Welcome! My name is Eva Rios, I am currently a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Brown University. I hold an M.A. in Political Science from Brown University and a B.A. in Statistics and International Studies from Northwestern University. My research experience and interests center on the intersection of religion and politics, using rigorous empirical methods to examine how Evangelicalism impacts public opinion, public policy, and democratic backsliding. My research has been published in Publius: The Journal of Federalism and Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. I was previously a fellow for the Graduate Program in Development at Brown University during the 2019-2020 academic year.

In addition to my research, I have extensive experience teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level in comparative politics, research design, statistics, and international relations. I co-designed and co-instructed Introduction to Comparative Politics at Brown University and was awarded the Department of Political Science’s P. Terrence Hopmann Award for Excellence in Teaching for my work as a teaching assistant in Nuclear Politics. I am particularly passionate about guiding students through research projects, helping them develop the skills to critically analyze political phenomena and conduct rigorous empirical research.

My dissertation, God in Governance: Evangelicalism’s Impact on Politics and Society in Brazil, examines how the rapid expansion of Evangelicalism influences public opinion and policymaking in Brazil. First, it explores how variation within Evangelicalism, particularly different interpretations of crucifixion, influences attitudes on crime policy, moving beyond traditional concerns like abortion and same-sex marriage. I find that a ‘grace’ interpretation of crucifixion decreases support for punitive policies relative to preventative ones. Building on this work, I am developing a new project on how Evangelicals perceive income redistribution and under what conditions religious beliefs shape economic policy preferences.

Second, it also analyzes the mechanisms through which Evangelicals pursue policy change, with a focus on efforts to restrict references to gender and sexuality in schools. Using a politician characteristic regression discontinuity design, I find that Evangelical mayors in Brazil are more likely to propose laws aiming to restrict these references, although most efforts are blocked. I then turn to analyze the bottom-up, grassroots efforts, where Evangelicals report an harass teachers who make these references to pressure them into self-censoring. A survey experiment finds that Evangelicals are more supportive of both reporting teachers and harassing them than their non-Evangelical peer. A shift-share instrumental variables analysis then demonstrates that municipalities that experienced more Evangelical growth have more reports made against teachers. I am expanding this line of research to examine how Evangelicals engage in education policy debates in the U.S., comparing their influence across different institutional and legal contexts. This is especially relevant given ongoing debates over curriculum content, book bans, and religious influence in public education policy.

Beyond my dissertation, my research explores other aspects of Evangelicalism’s impact on governance. In a co-authored project, I examine how populist leaders mobilize Evangelicals by framing issues as moral causes, leading to greater support for democratic erosion when populists align with their values. More broadly, I study how democratic institutions respond to political and social pressures, including in times of crisis. My research on democratic institutions examines how federalism shaped pandemic policymaking in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, analyzing both subnational responses to national leaders resistant to restrictions and the effectiveness of social distancing measures.

Using a mixed-methods approach, my dissertation employs causal inference techniques—including a politician characteristic regression discontinuity design and a shift-share instrumental variables analysis—along with survey experiments and expert interviews conducted during multiple fieldwork trips to Brazil in 2022. My research is grounded in rigorous empirical analysis, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods. I have received advanced training in causal inference, surveys, experimental design, and statistical analysis through coursework in Political Science and Economics at Brown, a Causal Inference Workshop, and a summer school in survey methodology.

My research is driven by real-world implications, particularly in understanding how Evangelicals shape policy and governance. Their influence extends beyond religious and moral issues, affecting key debates on social policy, education, and democracy. By examining how religious movements engage in policymaking and how institutions respond, my work sheds light on the broader dynamics of political representation, policy change, and democratic governance.