Christopher Blattman

Departmental website:
https://harris.uchicago.edu/directory/christopher-blattman

As a faculty member in The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, Christopher Blattman is helping the Institute pursue its global mission by focusing on some of the biggest social challenges in Africa and Latin America: conflict, crime, and state building.

As an economist and political scientist, Prof. Blattman uses field study, surveys, natural experiments and field experiments to study the dynamics of poverty and participation, and to consider which development programs work and why. A number of studies are presently underway in Uganda and Liberia, where he is exploring new strategies to alleviate poverty and is exploring how these strategies impact violence, unrest, and other social and political behavior.

He has published articles in American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Political Science Review, Journal of Economic Literature, Journal of Economic Perspectives, International Organization, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Review of Economics and Statistics.

Christopher Blattman

  • Title: Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies
  • Education: BA, University of Waterloo; MPA, Harvard Kennedy School; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
  • Joined UChicago faculty: 2016
  • blattman@uchicago.edu
  • @cblatts

Media Contact

Evan Williams

Media Relations Analyst

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Expertise

Crime, Poverty

Blattman Stories

Toy tanks on a map

Why Countries Choose War Over Peace, with Chris Blattman

New book examines roots of violence, paths to peace Angled view of a map covered with colored push pins

New book examines roots of violence, paths to peace

In ‘Why We Fight,’ Prof. Christopher Blattman lays out five reasons for major conflicts

UChicago announces winners of inaugural Academic Communicators Network awards View of University of Chicago campus with downtown skyline

UChicago announces winners of inaugural Academic Communicators Network awards

Awards honor faculty who excelled at sharing their research, expertise with the public

Review: Why governments should give away money Review: Why governments should give away money

Review: Why governments should give away money

<p>Prof. Chris Blattman discusses cash transfers</p>


Faculty members recognized with named, distinguished service professorships

Faculty members recognized with named, distinguished service professorships

Q&amp;A with Prof. Kerwin Charles on surprises, data and evidence-driven policymaking Kerwin Charles speaking in front of "Harris Public Policy" sign

Q&A with Prof. Kerwin Charles on surprises, data and evidence-driven policymaking

New research finds sweatshops may be a necessary evil in the development of economies

New research finds sweatshops may be a necessary evil in the development of economies

Prof. Chris Blattman study finds benefits of low-wage industrial jobs


The Pearson Institute names inaugural faculty members

The Pearson Institute names inaugural faculty members

Chris Blattman

Christopher Blattman

Title: Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies at Harris Public Policy

Expertise: Crime, Poverty

Departmental website: https://harris.uchicago.edu/directory/christopher-blattman