Jacob S. Hacker

Jacob S. Hacker is the Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science at Yale University, Co-Director of the Ludwig Program in Public Sector Leadership at Yale Law School, and a resident fellow at the Institution for Social and Policy Studies. He specializes in American politics, public policy, and inequality, with a focus on health policy, welfare state dynamics, and 'predistribution' strategies. His seminal works include The Divided Welfare State (2002) and Winner-Take-All Politics (2010), which received the APSA's Aaron Wildavsky Award. He has held visiting roles at the Max Planck Sciences Po Center and the U.S. Library of Congress.

Education: B.A., Harvard University (1994); Ph.D., Yale University (2000).

Research interests span economic inequality, political economy, and policy design. His recent work critiques right-wing populism and explores strategies for equitable economic governance. He co-founded the Consortium on American Political Economy (CAPE) and chairs the APSA's American Political Economy section.

Notable awards include the Robert Ball Award (2020) and membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His policy contributions include the 'public option' concept and advocacy for Medicare expansion.