Julien Labonne

Julien Labonne is an Associate Professor in Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. His research focuses on political economy in developing countries, particularly the Philippines, with an emphasis on clientelism, electoral politics, and social networks. He employs field experiments, household surveys, and large-scale data to analyze voter and politician behavior. Julien also serves as the DPhil Coordinator at the Blavatnik School, overseeing doctoral studies.

• University: University of Oxford
• School: Blavatnik School of Government
• Academic Rank: Associate Professor
• Email: julien.labonne@bsg.ox.ac.uk

Julien Labonne completed his PhD in Economics at the University of Oxford and holds master’s degrees from Oxford, University College London, and ENSAE Paris Tech. Prior to Oxford, he was an Assistant Professor at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. He has also worked at the World Bank and consulted for the Asia Foundation, Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the OECD.

His research interests include political economy, clientelism, electoral behavior, social networks, and governance in developing countries. He conducts field experiments to understand how information affects voting behavior and how political dynasties influence representation, particularly in the Philippines. His work explores how voters respond to policy platforms versus personal connections, and how NGOs and governments can shift electoral incentives toward better governance.

The trend in Julien Labonne’s recent publications shows a strong focus on empirical political economy, particularly in Southeast Asia. His work combines rigorous experimental methods with deep contextual understanding of local politics. Key themes include political dynasties, clientelism, voter information campaigns, and public service delivery. His research often involves collaboration with international institutions and uses randomized field experiments to assess causal impacts of policy interventions.

Julien Labonne has not been publicly recognized with scientific awards in the provided texts. However, his work has been published in top-tier journals such as the American Political Science Review, Economic Journal, and Journal of Development Economics, indicating high scholarly impact.

Julien Labonne has advised or collaborated with several researchers and students, though no formal list of advisees is provided. His research has been supported through collaborations with institutions like the Inter-American Development Bank and the Evidence in Governance & Politics (EGAP) network. He has organized policy panels and engaged with policymakers in Washington, highlighting the policy relevance of his work. He also contributes to academic discourse through publications and public engagement.

Julien Labonne is part of a collaborative research team involving scholars from the University of British Columbia and the Inter-American Development Bank. He works closely with a local NGO in the Philippines to implement voter information campaigns during elections. His research is conducted under the auspices of the Blavatnik School of Government and is connected to broader networks such as the Centre for the Study of African Economies at Oxford, reflecting interdisciplinary and international collaboration.