Christopher Blattman

About

Christopher Blattman is the Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict studies at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. As an economist and political scientist, he 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 prominent journals such as the 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. Previously, Blattman was a business consultant and an accountant at Deloitte & Touche. He then served as an assistant professor of political science and economics at Yale University and most recently as an associate professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and Department of Political Science. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in public administration and international development from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Political Science
• Economics
• Economic growth
• Psychology
• Computer Science
• Demography
• Criminology
• Econometrics
• Finance

Selected publications

• The Long-Term Impacts of Grants on Poverty: Nine-Year Evidence from Uganda’s Youth Opportunities Program

  American Economic Review Insights · 2020 · 109 citations

  1st authorCorresponding

  In 2008, Uganda gave $400 per person to thousands of young people to help them start skilled trades, work more, and raise incomes. Four years on, an experimental evaluation found grants raised work by 17 percent and earnings by 38 percent (Blattman, Fiala, Martinez 2014). After nine years, we find these gains have dissipated. Grantees’ investment leveled off; controls eventually increased their incomes through business and casual labor; and so both groups converged in employment, earnings, and c…

  DOI

• Place-Based Interventions at Scale: The Direct and Spillover Effects of Policing and City Services on Crime

  Journal of the European Economic Association · 2021 · 89 citations

  1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract In 2016, the city of Bogotá doubled police patrols and intensified city services on high-crime streets. They did so based on a criminological consensus that such place-based programs not only decrease crime, but also have beneficial spillovers for nearby streets. To test this, we worked with Bogotá to experiment on an unprecedented scale. We randomly assigned 1,919 streets to either 8 months of doubled police patrols, greater municipal services, both, or neither. Such scale brings econo…

  DOI

• Gang Rule: Understanding and Countering Criminal Governance

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2021 · 44 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  DOI

• Gang Rule: Understanding and Countering Criminal Governance

  The Review of Economic Studies · 2024-09-05 · 36 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract Criminal groups govern millions worldwide. Even in strong states, gangs resolve disputes and provide security. Why do these duopolies of coercion emerge? Often, gangs fill vacuums of official power, suggesting that increasing state presence should crowd out criminal governance. We show, however, that state and gang rule can be strategic complements. In particular, gangs could minimize seizures and arrests by keeping neighbourhoods orderly and loyal. If true, increasing state presence co…

  PublisherDOI

• Predicting and Preventing Gun Violence: An Experimental Evaluation of READI Chicago

  National Bureau of Economic Research · 2023-01-01 · 23 citations

  reportSenior author

  Gun violence is the most pressing public safety problem in American cities.We report results from a randomized controlled trial (N = 2, 456) of a community-researcher partnership called the Rapid Employment and Development Initiative (READI) Chicago.The program offered an 18month job alongside cognitive behavioral therapy and other social support.Both algorithmic and human referral methods identified men with strikingly high scope for gun violence reduction: for every 100 people in the control g…

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Edward Miguel

  849 shared

• Michal Bauer

  845 shared

• Joseph Henrich

  Harvard University

  843 shared

• Julie Chytilová

  842 shared

• Tamar Mitts

  Columbia University

  841 shared

• Benjamin Marx

  Center for Economic and Policy Research

  174 shared

• Horacio Larreguy

  174 shared

• Otis Reid

  174 shared

Labs

• Harris School of Public PolicyPI

Education

• Ph.D., Economics

  University of California at Berkeley

• M.A., Public Administration and International Development

  Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government

Awards & honors

• NIHCM Foundation Research Award (2018)

Similar researchers at University of Chicago

• Dan A. Blackh-55
• Christopher R. Berryh-25
• Anjali Adukiah-7