About
Torben Iversen is the Harold Hitchings Burbank Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Government at Harvard University. He is also a Faculty Associate at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science, the Center for European Studies, and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. His extensive academic career at Harvard spans from Assistant Professor (1994-1999) to his current named professorship (2005-present).
Iversen's research focuses on comparative political economy, electoral politics, and applied formal theory. His work examines the intersection of democracy, capitalism, and welfare state development, with particular attention to gender politics, inequality, and institutional evolution. He has made significant contributions to understanding how political institutions shape economic outcomes and how economic changes transform political representation.
His recent publications reveal a sustained interest in how technological and economic transformations (particularly the information revolution and knowledge economy) affect welfare state politics and democratic representation. His work consistently combines theoretical innovation with empirical rigor, often collaborating with leading scholars in the field.
- Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017-)
- Catherine A. and Mary C. Gellert Radcliffe Fellow (2020-21)
- Guggenheim Fellow (2008-09)
- BP Centennial Professor at LSE (2016-17)
- Rigmor and Carl Holst-Knudsens Science Prize (2016)
- Victoria Schuck Award for best book on women and politics (2010)
Iversen has served on numerous dissertation committees (currently 11) and has held leadership positions including Chair of the Political Economy and Government Program at Harvard (2005-2022) and Chair of the Department's Curriculum Committee (2019-2020). His professional service extends to editorial boards of leading journals and membership on prestigious committees including the Membership Selection Committee for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017-2020).
He has directed numerous research initiatives including workshops in comparative political economy at multiple institutions and has been a co-organizer of the Workshop in Comparative Political Economy since 1999. His work has been supported by major grants from the National Science Foundation and other prestigious funding bodies.
