Benjamin Marx

Benjamin Marx is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Boston University and an affiliated researcher at Sciences Po's Department of Economics. He is also affiliated with CEPR, NBER, BREAD, J-PAL, and AALIMS. Marx holds a PhD in Economics from MIT (2018). His research focuses on political economy and development, with a particular emphasis on elections, religion, and state-building in global and historical contexts. He explores how political institutions, cultural factors, and historical processes shape economic development, including topics like democratic accountability, religious politics, and urban poverty.

Education:

• PhD in Economics, MIT, 2018

Research Interests:

• Political Economy of Elections and Democracy
• Religion and Political Institutions
• Historical State-Building
• Ethnic Favoritism and Discrimination
• Urban Poverty Dynamics

Awards:

• Oliver Williamson Best Conference Paper Award (SIOE 2022)

Grants & Collaborations:

• Co-author on projects funded by J-PAL, NBER, and the French National Research Agency (ANR)
• Collaborations with institutions like Sciences Po, Harvard, and MIT

His work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical studies, often leveraging historical and global datasets to analyze institutional and cultural drivers of development.