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Leonard Wantchekon is a Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University, associated with the Economics faculty. He has made significant contributions to the fields of Political Economy, Economic History, and Development Economics. His research focuses on clientelism, state capture, and the resource curse, exploring how these concepts interact with democratization. One of his notable works applies field experiment methodology to study the effects of policy messages on voting behavior and election outcomes. Wantchekon's contributions also extend to understanding the long-term effects of historical events, as seen in his co-authored paper that links trust levels in Africa to the slave trade. He currently investigates the origins of gender norms and educational demand in Africa and the United States. His academic work has been covered widely in international media, and he reflects on his experiences as a left-wing pro-democracy activist in his autobiography. Wantchekon is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society, and he has served in various influential roles within academic associations. He founded the African School of Economics in Benin, which opened in 2014, and has held professorships at NYU and Yale University.
Princeton University • Princeton, NJ, USA
Leonard Wantchekon is a Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University, engaged in significant research within political economy and development.
GRE scores are not accepted. Ph.D. is the primary degree; students are not required to hold an M.S.E. prior to admission.