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Democracy and Governance

Technology provides exciting new opportunities that empower citizens to participate in the political process. Researchers at the Policy Design and Evaluation Lab look to combine social science methodology with the power of information technology to design better policies and programs. Francisco Garfias, a professor of political science, has implemented a field experiment in Colombia designed to help governments enhance their fiscal capacity. The experiment seeks to quantify the costs and benefits associated with property formalization for both individuals and local governments, which must decide how much to invest to maintain a land registry and collect property taxes.

Faculty and Research

Related Faculty

  • John Ahlquist

    John Ahlquist

    Professor; Director, Pacific Leadership Fellows Program

    Research Fields: political economy, comparative politics, labor market institutions, income inequality, international trade

  • Renee Bowen

    Renee Bowen

    Professor, UC San Diego Department of Economics

    Research fields: political economy, microeconomic theory, international trade

  • Tai Ming Cheung

    Tai Ming Cheung

    Professor; Director, UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation

    Research Fields: China, Chinese and East Asian defense and national security affairs, especially related to economic, industrial, technology and innovation issues

  • Peter Cowhey

    Peter Cowhey

    Dean Emeritus and Qualcomm Chair Emeritus

    Research Fields: U.S. trade policy, foreign policy, communications and information technology, Internet, biological threats, international corporate strategy, microfinance industry to alleviate poverty

  • Jesse Driscoll

    Jesse Driscoll

    Associate Professor; Chair, Global Leadership Institute

    Research Fields: comparative politics, international relations, civil war, voting, Central Asia
  • Richard Feinberg

    Richard Feinberg

    Professor Emeritus

    Research Fields: Cuba, Latin America, U.S. foreign policy, multilateral institutions, trade and investment, globalization, democratization, non-governmental organizations

  • Rafael Fernández de Castro

    Rafael Fernández de Castro

    Professor; Aaron Feldman Family Chancellor's Endowed Chair in U.S.-Mexican Studies in Memory of David Feldman; Director, Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies

    Research fields: U.S.-Mexico relations, foreign policy, immigration and security in Latin America

  • Francisco Garfias

    Francisco Garfias

    Associate Professor

    Research Fields: comparative political economy, state capacity, taxation, social conflict, Latin American politics, Mexican politics, econometrics

  • Joshua Graff Zivin

    Joshua Graff Zivin

    Professor; Pacific Economic Cooperation Chair in International Economic Relations; Director, Peter F. Cowhey Center on Global Transformation

    Research Fields: environmental, public health, development, innovation economics

  • Emilie Hafner-Burton

    Emilie Hafner-Burton

    Professor; Research Director, Future of Democracy (IGCC); Director, Laboratory on International Law and Regulation

    Research Fields: international law and regulation, human rights, election violence, trade and investment, behavioral economics, political psychology, and social networks

  • Stephan Haggard

    Stephan Haggard

    Research Professor; Lawrence and Sallye Krause Distinguished Professor Emeritus; Director Emeritus, Korea-Pacific Program; Research Director, Global Governance (IGCC)

    Research Fields: international relations, political economy, globalization, East Asia, North and South Korea

  • Zoltan L. Hajnal

    Zoltan L. Hajnal

    Professor

    Research Fields: racial and ethnic politics, urban politics, immigration, election administration, voting rights, American politics, political behavior

  • Ruixue Jia

    Ruixue Jia

    Associate Professor

    Research Fields: China, development economics, economic history, political economy

  • Gaurav Khanna

    Gaurav Khanna

    Assistant Professor

    Research Fields: development economics, labor economics, applied econometrics

  • Craig McIntosh

    Craig McIntosh

    Professor; Co-director, Policy Design and Evaluation Lab

    Research Fields: development economics, agricultural and resource economics, program evaluation, microeconomics, anti-poverty policies

  • Barry Naughton

    Barry Naughton

    So Kwan Lok Chair of Chinese International Affairs

    Research Fields: Chinese economy, foreign trade and investment, economic reform 

  • Lauren Prather

    Lauren Prather

    Associate Professor

    Research Fields: foreign policy, migration, democracy promotion and democratization, Middle East

  • Nico Ravanilla

    Nico Ravanilla

    Associate Professor

    Research Fields: comparative politics, public policy, governance, Southeast Asia

  • Kate Ricke

    Kate Ricke

    Associate Professor; Edward A. Frieman Endowed Presidential Chair in Climate Sustainability

    Research Fields: climate change, public policy

  • Krislert Samphantharak

    Krislert Samphantharak

    Professor

    Research Fields: corporate finance, economic development, family businesses, business groups in East and Southeast Asia, financial institutions in village economies, Thailand

  • Weiyi Shi

    Weiyi Shi

    Assistant Professor

    Research Fields: China, political economy, foreign policy

  • Victor Shih

    Victor Shih

    Professor of Political Science; Director, 21st Century China Center; Ho Miu Lam Chair in China and Pacific Relations

    Research Fields: China, political economy, Chinese banking policies, Chinese politics

  • David Victor

    David Victor

    Professor; Peter Cowhey Center on Global Transformation Chair in Innovation and Public Policy; Director, Deep Decarbonization Initiative

    Research Fields: human rights, international law, energy policy, climate change policy

  • Barbara F. Walter

    Barbara F. Walter

    Professor; Rohr Chair in Pacific International Relations

    Research Fields: international security, civil wars, terrorism/counter-terrorism

Related Research Centers and Programs

  • Center for Commerce and Diplomacy

    Center for Commerce and Diplomacy

    For the advancement of worldwide peace and prosperity, our mission is to produce high-quality research that informs government and business leaders about the challenges and institutions of international commercial diplomacy in a changing world.
  • Laboratory on International Law and Regulation

    Laboratory on International Law and Regulation

    Exploring when and why laws actually work, this living laboratory looks across an array of issues from environment and energy to human rights, trade and security.
  • Policy Design and Evaluation Lab

    Policy Design and Evaluation Lab

    Combining advanced social science methodology with the power of information technology, this lab designs policies and programs that alleviate poverty; promote health, welfare and security; and enhance accountability.