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Benedicte Bull

Professor

Research interests

  • Development 
  • Democracy 
  • Global Governace
  • Elites 
  • Geographic focus Latin America

Since earning my doctorate, I have been focused on how elites influence the potential for democratic and sustainable development. I studied the privatization of public enterprises in Central America, particularly how elites affected opportunities for development, democracy, and state institutions, while also serving as an "intermediary" between international institutions and small countries like Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Later, this interest in elites led me to examine the political significance of transnational business groups, public-private partnerships in international organizations, the influence of businesses on international trade agreements, the impact of elites on environmental governance, and how elites change in response to technological, economic, and political shifts. My goal is to understand how to develop democratic domestica and multilateral institutions that can create positive social change, including addressing the climate and nature crises and reducing poverty, despite structural inequalities both within and between countries. The focus is always on poorer nations, particularly in Latin America. In recent years, I have specifically studied how international and national politics and economics have interacted in Venezuela's collapse, and how elites in Latin America are responding to China's increasing influence. Through my work with elites and institutions in Latin America, I have also become interested in the illegal economy and how organizations that emerge from it both challenge and collaborate with traditional elites. With the significant increase in the fortunes of the wealthiest individuals in recent years, I have returned to studying "oligarchies" and oligarchs and their influence on politics.

Courses taught

Background

Awards

Partners

 

Tags: Latin America, Globalisation, Governance, Brazil, Global South

Publications

  • Bull, Benedicte & Delascio, Gustavo Cadenas (2026). The New Political Economy of Climate Mitigation: Impetus to or Hindrance against Environmental Regionalization in the Global South? In Ruiz, José Briceno & Rivarola, Andres (Ed.), Handbook on Political Economy and Regionalism. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781035336388. p. 272–288. doi: 10.4337/9781035336395.00028. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rosales, Antulio (2026). The Politics of Sanctions. In Nesi, Hilary & Milin, Petar (Ed.), Reference Module in Social Sciences. Elsevier. ISSN 9780443157851. doi: https:/www.researchgate.net/publication/408099397_The_Politics_of_Sanctions. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2026). From bolibourgeoisie to cryptocrats: how the crisis and sanctions reshaped Venezuela’s ruling elite into a new oligarchy. Third World Quarterly. ISSN 0143-6597. p. 21–21. doi: 10.1080/01436597.2026.2633287. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2025). The changing face of oligarchy in Latin America: Implications for democracy and development. European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. ISSN 0924-0608. p. 15–25. doi: 10.32992/erlacs.11451. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rosales, Antulio (2025). Chinese impact on development in Venezuela: the dynamics of structural stagnation. New Political Economy. ISSN 1356-3467. 31(1), p. 125–144. doi: 10.1080/13563467.2025.2531004. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte; Rosales, Antulio & Sutherland, Manuel (2025). Authoritarian Capitalism in Venezuela: The Political Economy of Maduro’s Disorderly Liberalization. In Polga-Hecimovich, John & Raúl, Sánchez-Urribarri (Ed.), Authoritarian Consolidation in Times of Crisis: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro. Routledge. ISSN 9781032601670. p. 63–81. doi: 10.4324/9781003457886-5. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2025). Does the Rise of the Global South Weaken Democracy? The Pivotal Case of the 2024 Presidential Elections in Venezuela. Forum for Development Studies. ISSN 0803-9410. 52(2), p. 361–382. doi: 10.1080/08039410.2024.2424582. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2025). The Rise of Authoritarian Capitalism: What Does It Mean for Businesses that Seek Peace? Business Horizons. ISSN 0007-6813. 68(4), p. 413–424. doi: 10.1016/j.bushor.2025.02.013. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Banik, Dan (2025). The Rebirth of the Global South: Geopolitics, Imageries and Developmental Realities. Forum for Development Studies. ISSN 0803-9410. 52(2), p. 195–214. doi: 10.1080/08039410.2025.2490696. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2024). China and the New Geopolitics of Climate Multilateralism in Latin America. Iberoamericana – Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. ISSN 0046-8444. 53(1), p. 44–58. doi: 10.16993/iberoamericana.633. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte; Bergmann, Adrian & Gude, Rafael (2024). Against the Odds: Small Business Strategies for Managing Extortion in San Salvador. Journal of Illicit Economies and Development (JIED). 6(1), p. 79–92. doi: 10.31389/jied.203. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rosales, Antulio (2024). Elite Dynamics and China's Influence in Latin-America. Development and Change. ISSN 0012-155X. 55(5), p. 1206–1229. doi: 10.1111/dech.12861. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Hoelscher, Kristian (2023). Pandemic Micropolitics in Latin America: Small Business and the Governance of Crisis From Above and Below in El Salvador. Journal of Politics in Latin America. ISSN 1866-802X. doi: 10.1177/1866802X231159686. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2023). Cómo las sanciones a Venezuela abrieron paso a un capitalismo autoritario. Nueva sociedad. ISSN 0251-3552. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2023). A transformative post-development state? State institutions as change makers in the Anthropocene, Handbook of International Development and the Environment. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800883772. p. 83–99. doi: 10.4337/9781800883789. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Aguilar-Støen, Mariel (2023). Introduction to Handbook on International Development and the Environment: from limits to growth to a transformation for the Anthropocene, Handbook of International Development and the Environment. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800883772. p. 1–25. doi: 10.4337/9781800883789. Full text in Research Archive
  • Rosales, Antulio; Bull, Benedicte & Sutherland, Manuel (2023). Depredación y ausencia de burocracia: la situación de los empleados públicos en Venezuela desde la mirada de la capacidad estatal. América Latina Hoy. ISSN 1130-2887. 93. doi: 10.14201/alh.29735. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rosales, Antulio (2023). How Sanctions Led to Authoritarian Capitalism in Venezuela. Current history (1941). ISSN 0011-3530. 122(841), p. 49–55. doi: 10.1525/curh.2023.122.841.49. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Sanchez, Francisco (2023). Las élites (políticas) desde América Latina. In Barragán, Mélany & Puig, Salvador Martí (Ed.), América Latina. Democracias frágiles y conflictividad. Tirant Lo Blanch Grupo Editorial. ISSN 9788419588289. p. 89–121. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2022). Caught in the Crossfire: The Inter-American Development Bank and US–China Rivalry. Global China Pulse. ISSN 2004-4607. 1(1). Full text in Research Archive
  • Banik, Dan & Bull, Benedicte (2022). Multilateralism to the Rescue? Beijing’s Support for Multilateral Institutions during the COVID-19 Crisis. Internationales Asienforum. ISSN 0020-9449. 53(2). doi: 10.11588/iqas.2022.2.14102. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte; Rosales, Antulio & Sutherland, Manuel (2022). Venezuela: lujo, desigualdades y «capitalismo bodegonero». Nueva sociedad. ISSN 0251-3552. Marzo-Abril(298). Full text in Research Archive
  • Miklian, Jason; Bull, Benedicte; Ganson, Brian; Katsos, John E; Cechvala, Sarah & Hoelscher, Kristian [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). What Covid-19 Taught Us About Doing Business During a Crisis. Harvard Business Review. ISSN 0017-8012. Full text in Research Archive
  • Sveinsdottir, Anna; Sveinsdóttir, Anna Guðbjört; Aguilar-Støen, Mariel & Bull, Benedicte (2020). Resistance, repression and elite dynamics: Unpacking violence in the Guatemalan mining sector. Geoforum. ISSN 0016-7185. 118, p. 117–129. doi: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2020.12.011. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2020). Élites y capacidad estatal en América Latina: una perspectiva basada en recursos sobre los cambios recientes en El Salvador. In Andrade, Pablo (Eds.), Nuevos enfoques para el estudio de los estados latinoamericanos. Corporación Nacional Editorial. ISSN 9789978199862. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Sánchez, Francisco (2020). Eliter, populisme og venstrebølgens endelikt i Latin-Amerika. Agora Journal for metafysisk spekulasjon. ISSN 0800-7136. 37(1-2), p. 88–114. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Sánchez, Francisco (2020). Élites y populistas: los casos de Venezuela y Ecuador. Iberoamericana – Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. ISSN 0046-8444. 49(1), p. 96–106. doi: 10.16993/iberoamericana.504. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rivera, Francisco Robles (2020). El COVID-19, las élites y el futuro de la economía política de la reducción de la desigualdad en América Latina. CEPAL Review. ISSN 0251-2920. 2020(132), p. 79–94. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rivera, Francisco Robles (2020). El COVID-19, las élites y el futuro de la economía política de la reducción de la desigualdad en América Latina. CEPAL Review. ISSN 0251-2920. p. 99–114. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rosales, Antulio (2020). Into the shadows: sanctions, rentierism, and economic informalization in Venezuela. European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. ISSN 0924-0608. 109(Januar-June), p. 107–133. doi: 10.32992/erlacs.10556. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2020). A new Global Resource Order, Elites and the Environment in Latin America. In Giovanna, Franca; Freire, Danilo & Mignozzetti, Umberto (Ed.), Natural Resources and Policy Choices in Latin America. Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. ISSN 9786599008467. p. 45–73. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Rosales, Antulio (2020). The crisis in Venezuela: Drivers, transitions, and pathways. European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. ISSN 0924-0608. 109(1), p. 1–21. doi: 10.32992/erlacs.10587. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Aguilar-Støen, Mariel (2019). Peace-building and business elites in Guatemala and El Salvador: explaining the discursive ‘institutional turn’. Conflict, Security and Development. ISSN 1467-8802. 19(1), p. 121–141. doi: 10.1080/14678802.2019.1561635. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & McNeill, Desmond (2019). From market multilateralism to governance by goal setting: SDGs and the changing role of partnerships in a new global order. Business and Politics. ISSN 1369-5258. 21(4), p. 464–486. doi: 10.1017/bap.2019.9. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2019). Combating Inequality: Is There a “Scandinavian Way” to Reduce Inequality in Latin America? Iberoamericana – Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. ISSN 0046-8444. 48(1), p. 53–66. doi: 10.16993/iberoamericana.454. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Miklian, Jason (2019). Towards Global Business Engagement with Development Goals? Multilateral Institutions and the SDGs in a Changing Global Capitalism. Business and Politics. ISSN 1369-5258. 21(4), p. 445–463. doi: 10.1017/bap.2019.27. Full text in Research Archive
  • Banik, Dan & Bull, Benedicte (2019). Chinese engagement in Africa and Latin America: does it matter for state capacity? Studying the State: A Global South Perspective. Routledge. ISSN 9780429354472. doi: 10.4324/9780429354472-5. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

  • Bull, Benedicte (2026). Trumps bakgård: Fra Monroe doktrine til røverimperialisme i Latin-Amerika. Res Publica. ISBN 9788282263788. doi: https:/respublica.no/produkter/trumps-bakgard/. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Aguilar-Støen, Mariel (2023). Handbook of International Development and the Environment. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 9781800883772. 337 p. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte & Aguilar-Støen, Mariel (2023). Handbook on International Development and the Environment. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 9781800883772. 337 p. Full text in Research Archive
  • Bull, Benedicte (2021). Latin-Amerika i dag: nye interesser og gamle bånd til USA, Kina, Russland, Midtøsten og Europa. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202734541. 250 p. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

View all works in NVA

Published Aug. 15, 2011 2:52 PM - Last modified Oct. 13, 2025 10:45 AM