Jeffrey Ely

Jeffrey Ely is the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Economics at Northwestern University, specializing in microeconomic theory, game theory, and behavioral economics. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley (1996). His research focuses on foundational game theory, mechanism design, and applied microeconomics, with recent work addressing AI control, information design, and voter behavior. Ely is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and co-founder of the journal Theoretical Economics. He directs the Program in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences at Northwestern and contributes to the blog Cheap Talk.

His research interests include the evolution of preferences, repeated games, and the entertainment value of suspense in information consumption. Ely has collaborated on studies like Ruth, Anthony, and Clarence, exploring non-ideological voter polarization, and Natural Selection of Artificial Intelligence, analyzing AI in decentralized production systems. His work bridges theoretical rigor with real-world applications, such as pandemic worker rotation strategies and football ticket pricing (Purple Pricing).

Ely’s academic leadership includes editorial roles and public engagement through podcasts (e.g., Game Changer), articles, and videos explaining complex concepts like opaque AI risks. His teaching includes intermediate microeconomics, emphasizing innovative pedagogy.