Chris Blattman
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chrisblattman.bsky.social
Chris Blattman
@chrisblattman.bsky.social
Economist, political scientist & writer @UChicago @HarrisPolicy. See my book Why We Fight: http://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/636263
Reposted by Chris Blattman
New paper alert! 📣

@chrisblattman.bsky.social, Arthur Yu, and I reexamine the autocratic growth penalty—the finding that autocracies systematically underperform democracies in economic growth.

TL;DR, the penalty is concentrated in personalist, not institutionalized autocracies.

Details👇 1/X
July 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Clear case of bsky confirming my low expectations. I at least received a little info and DMs from X.

In case you are interested, however…
I’m amazed: On the foreign assistance freeze, I’m astonished not to see major State Dept and USAID recipients challenge the disruption in court. An injunction? Where is World Vision, SAVE, Red Cross, etc on this? Or the Beltway bandits (Chemonics etc) Is there activity happening?
February 1, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I’m amazed: On the foreign assistance freeze, I’m astonished not to see major State Dept and USAID recipients challenge the disruption in court. An injunction? Where is World Vision, SAVE, Red Cross, etc on this? Or the Beltway bandits (Chemonics etc) Is there activity happening?
February 1, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
Come work for me at UChicago @beckerfriedman.bsky.social ! I'm hiring a full-time pre-doc to start this April/May/June for data analysis on crime, education, mental health, and organized crime, mostly on projects in Latin America. Details & apply here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/universityof...
Research Professional – Christopher Blattman (Full-Time, Benefits Eligible)
Chicago, IL
job-boards.greenhouse.io
January 27, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Come work for me at UChicago @beckerfriedman.bsky.social ! I'm hiring a full-time pre-doc to start this April/May/June for data analysis on crime, education, mental health, and organized crime, mostly on projects in Latin America. Details & apply here: job-boards.greenhouse.io/universityof...
Research Professional – Christopher Blattman (Full-Time, Benefits Eligible)
Chicago, IL
job-boards.greenhouse.io
January 27, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
Recommendations for Vegas with tweens? We are actually spending most days in Red Rock Canyon but evenings and some days could go to the strip or a day trip. (Unless you count get-out-the-vote door knocking in 2004, I’ve never been.

For day trips: Hoover Dam looks dull. Am I wrong? What’s better?
December 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
Recommendations for Vegas with tweens? We are actually spending most days in Red Rock Canyon but evenings and some days could go to the strip or a day trip. (Unless you count get-out-the-vote door knocking in 2004, I’ve never been.

For day trips: Hoover Dam looks dull. Am I wrong? What’s better?
December 26, 2024 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
If you receive a ref request and can't finish in the allotted time, you have options:

- Decline the review.
- Ask editor for more time. Then turn in report close to your new proposed deadline.

Don't do:

- Ghost the request
- Agree to request then go months past the due date w/no communication
December 13, 2024 at 8:16 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
Truly amazed at the number of students I have heard zilch from all quarter who would now like to advise me on how I should calculate final grades.
December 13, 2024 at 10:49 PM
If you zoom, you can see the Olmec head is crushing a Tesla
Stumbled upon in Roma Norte, CDMX
November 24, 2024 at 1:23 AM
Stumbled upon in Roma Norte, CDMX
November 23, 2024 at 1:43 AM
Anyone celebrating or condemning the ICC this week should temper their expectations. I posted this exactly 14 years ago today and, sadly, i have not seen much reason to raise my opinion of the court

af4.cf3.mwp.accessdomain.com/blog/2010/11...
Just when you think the ICC could not bungle things worse - Chris Blattman
Now, deep into the trial, the defense has produced new evidence that may undermine the entire case, namely claims by several witnesses that Congolese researchers for the prosecution enlisted some witn...
af4.cf3.mwp.accessdomain.com
November 22, 2024 at 10:54 PM
UChicago Harris School of Public Policy is searching for development economists at the Associate and Full level. We are open to untenured faculty ready or near ready for promotion too.

More info and apply here:
apply.interfolio.com/158745

EOE/Vet/Disability
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
November 21, 2024 at 7:46 PM
Cambridge folks (the Massachusetts ones): I'm giving a public book talk on Nov 28th @harvard.bsky.social. Come!

My first book talk since Oct 7th, in which I have managed to delude/convince myself that all sides will find my take reasonable. You should join just to see if that bubble pops.
November 17, 2023 at 10:16 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
We’re hosting the Midwest International Development Conference @UChicago April 5-6. Submit your papers!

The world is welcome. Registration fees include most meals at the university’s new conference venue.

Learn more and submit papers here:

t.co/SJpFMF5oQj
November 8, 2023 at 10:48 PM
We’re hosting the Midwest International Development Conference @UChicago April 5-6. Submit your papers!

The world is welcome. Registration fees include most meals at the university’s new conference venue.

Learn more and submit papers here:

t.co/SJpFMF5oQj
November 8, 2023 at 10:48 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
Ben provides some helpful links to similar advice at the bottom of the page. I'd also add/endorse @chrisblattman.bsky.social's advice page (covering several career stages): chrisblattman.com/phd-advice/
Advice: PhDs - Chris Blattman
Advice posts for PhD students Learn More Subscribe to the Blog Recent Posts
chrisblattman.com
November 6, 2023 at 3:46 PM
How I mostly feel about this site
Hello, the twitter with 3 people on it, all with the same politics, but no ads or bots.
November 4, 2023 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
This, except the concept of file trees. We keep hiring interns who have no idea what subfolders are, and it's like having to teach a 90 year old how a computer works.
The Yoots seem increasingly reluctant to use e-mail.

Institutionally, the university's systems are integrated with e-mail; I can e-mail a whole class but not group-text them. I have automatic access to their e-mail addresses and not their phone numbers. E-mail constitutes official communication.
November 4, 2023 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
So glad to see @hofrench.bsky.social here!
November 4, 2023 at 6:19 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
The White House Council of Economic Advisers is hiring for multiple roles.

GREAT GREAT opportunities for U.S. citizens interested in economic policy.

Can't recommend them strongly enough. 📉📈

- Staff economists, PhD students on leave from PhD for a year...

www.whitehouse.gov/cea/work-for...
Staff Economist | CEA | The White House
The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is currently recruiting Staff Economists for the upcoming academic year (starting in summer of 2024). The CEA provides the President with objective economic anal...
www.whitehouse.gov
October 30, 2023 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
Great website with LaTeX templates for slides, papers, and referee reports
October 26, 2023 at 8:05 PM
In understanding Hamas’ horrific attacks, we leap to external motives, like interrupting the Saudi-Israel talks. Surely true in part. But we shouldn’t overlook internal motives—a desire to delegitimize Palestinian Authority, rally support, or distract own people from their dissent.
On the eve of Hamas’s October 7 attack, Gazans had very little confidence in their Hamas-led government, according to a newly released survey conducted by Arab Barometer’s Amaney Jamal and Michael Robbins.
www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-...
October 27, 2023 at 1:45 AM
Reposted by Chris Blattman
What would you say if you saw it in another country?
October 27, 2023 at 12:20 AM