Gustavo Flores-Macías's research and teaching interests include topics related to political and economic development. His research focuses on the politics of economic reform, taxation and state capacity, and populism and the militarization of law enforcement. 

His most recent book, Contemporary State Building: Elite Taxation and Public Safety in Latin America (Cambridge University Press 2022), provides insight into how to strengthen the state from a fiscal and public safety perspective, drawing on experiences with elite taxation in the region. He is also the author of After Neoliberalism? The Left and Economic Reforms in Latin America (Oxford University Press 2012), winner of the 2014 Latin American Studies Association Tomassini Award.

Flores-Macías serves as senior associate dean for strategic initiatives in Cornell’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.