Dr. Kathleen Thelen

Professor

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Biography

Kathleen Thelen is the Ford Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on political economy in wealthy democracies, with a current emphasis on the study of American capitalism from a comparative perspective. Thelen is the author of several influential works, including Attention Shoppers! American Retail Capitalism Origins Amazon Economy (Princeton University Press, 2025) and Varieties of Liberalization: New Politics of Social Solidarity (2014). She has also edited volumes such as American Political Economy: Politics, Markets, Power and Advances in Comparative Historical Analysis. Over her career, Thelen has received numerous awards recognizing her contributions to the field, including the Friedrich Schiedel Award and the Aaron Wildavsky Enduring Contribution Prize. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences. Thelen has served as President of the American Political Science Association and Chair of the Council for European Studies. Her work on institutional arrangements and varieties of capitalism has made a significant impact on the study of political economy, particularly in understanding labor relations and social policy across different nations.

Research Interests

Experience

Ford Professor

2015-09-01 — Present

Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA

Leading researcher in political science focusing on political economy, institutions, and labor politics.

Awards

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Friedrich Schiedel Award

2020-01-01
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Aaron Wildavsky Enduring Contribution Prize

2019-01-01
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Michael Endres Research Prize

2019-01-01
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Barrington Moore Book Prize

2015-01-01
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Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award

2005-01-01
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Mattei Dogan Award

2006-01-01
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Max Planck Research Award

2003-01-01