Leonard Wantchekon

Leonard Wantchekon is the James Madison Professor of Political Economy and Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. He holds a PhD in Economics from Northwestern University and previously held professorships at Yale University and New York University. His research focuses on African political economy, democratization, voter persuasion, and policy deliberation, utilizing experimental evidence from field experiments in Benin. His recent work examines racial inequality in economic publishing, the impact of independence movements on democracy in Africa, and the effects of economic shocks on noncognitive skill development in Ethiopian youth. He is the founder and president of the African School of Economics and serves on the executive committee of the Afrobarometer Network.