Dr. Ian Shapiro

Biography

Ian Shapiro is the Sterling Professor of Political Science and Global Affairs at Yale University. He has published widely and influentially on topics such as democracy, justice, and methods of social inquiry. Originally from South Africa, Shapiro earned his J.D. from Yale Law School and his Ph.D. from the Yale Political Science Department. He has been teaching since 1984 and served as chair from 1999 to 2004. Shapiro was the Henry R. Luce Director of the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies from 2004 to 2019. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, and he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In addition to his academic roles, Shapiro has held prestigious fellowships, including those from the Carnegie Corporation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He has also held visiting appointments at various international institutions, including the University of Cape Town and Nuffield College, Oxford. His recent books include 'Politics of Domination' (2016), 'Responsible Parties: Saving Democracy' (2018), 'Wolf Door: Menace of Economic Insecurity' (2020), and the upcoming 'Fall: The End of History and the Crisis of Democracy' (2026). His current research focuses on the relations between democracy, income distribution, wealth, and risk.

Research Interests