Kathleen Thelen

Kathleen Thelen is the Ford Professor of Political Science at MIT and a Permanent External Member of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies. Her work focuses on political economy, comparative institutional analysis, and the evolution of capitalism in advanced democracies. She has held significant roles including President of the American Political Science Association (2017–2018) and chairs of prominent academic organizations.

• Institutional affiliations: MIT Political Science Department, TUM-IAS Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship (2021), Max Planck Institute (Cologne)
• Research emphases: Varieties of capitalism, labor politics, historical institutionalism, platform capitalism, U.S. political economy in comparative perspective

Her research has explored institutional change mechanisms, welfare state transformations, and the political economy of the gig economy. Awards include the Aaron Wildavsky Enduring Contribution Award (2019) and Michael Endres Research Prize (2019). Recent publications analyze Amazon’s retail dominance and platform capitalism dynamics.

Thelen’s work bridges historical institutionalism with contemporary policy challenges, emphasizing cross-national comparisons of economic governance structures. She has contributed to debates on labor market dualization, corporate power, and the role of courts in shaping economic policy outcomes.