Christopher Blattman

Christopher Blattman serves as the Ramalee E. Pearson Professor of Global Conflict Studies at the Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, and is a faculty member in The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts. His research focuses on why some people and societies are poor, unequal and violent, and how to tackle these issues through evidence-based policy interventions.

Blattman maintains significant affiliations across multiple institutions:

• Leader of the Peace & Recovery program at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)
• Leader of the Crime and Violence Initiative at MIT's Poverty Action Lab
• Affiliate at the National Bureau for Economic Research
• Affiliate at UChicago Urban Labs
• Affiliate at the Center for Global Development
• Affiliate at the International Growth Center

His research spans multiple domains including global conflict studies, poverty reduction, and violence prevention. Blattman's primary investigations focus on:

• Street gang organization and criminal governance in Colombia
• Causes of urban violence in cities from Chicago to Monrovia
• Psychological drivers of prejudice between hostile groups
• Employment and cognitive behavior therapy programs to reduce violence

Blattman employs diverse methodological approaches including interviews, surveys, natural experiments, lab experiments, and field experiments. His influential book 'Why We Fight,' released by Viking Press in April 2022, challenges conventional wisdom about war, arguing that 'War is hard and finding peace is easier than you think,' synthesizing decades of social science research.

Blattman has advised the World Bank, United Nations, and governments in Uganda, Liberia, Colombia, and the United States. His academic trajectory includes positions as assistant professor of political science at Yale University and associate professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Department of Political Science.

His educational background features a PhD in economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in public administration and international development from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.