James D. Long

James D. Long is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington and co-founder of the Political Economy Forum. He holds affiliations with multiple institutions including the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CSSS) and the Technology and Social Change Group (TASCHA). His research focuses on electoral integrity, political violence, and ICT applications in development, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He has observed elections in over a dozen countries and led field experiments on voter behavior and anti-corruption strategies. Long’s work is funded by USAID, NSF, and others.

Education:

• PhD in Political Science, UC San Diego (2012)
• MSc in African Politics (Merit), SOAS, University of London (2004)
• BA in International Relations & History, College of William & Mary (2003)

Research Interests: Elections in developing democracies, electoral fraud, technology for governance, insurgency impacts, and poverty reduction. His methods combine field experiments, ethnography, and election forensics.

Recent Work: Examines ICT-driven citizen engagement platforms to improve governance and service delivery in developing nations. His 2020 ACM award-winning research addresses wildlife conservancy community relations via technology.

Awards:

• ACM Best Paper Award (2020)
• Fulbright Scholar (2008-2009)
• Harvard Academy Fellowship (2012-2016)

Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD students in comparative politics and development. Secured grants totaling over $1.5M for projects on electoral integrity and anti-corruption. Hosts the podcast 'Neither Free Nor Fair?' on global election security.

Teaching: Courses include Global Crime/Corruption, African Political Economy, and Comparative Politics. Served as Associate Chair of the Department of Political Science.