Macartan Humphreys

Macartan Humphreys is the director of the Institutions and Political Inequality group at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and holds the position of honorary professor of social sciences at both Trinity College Dublin and Humboldt University Berlin. His academic work spans political science, development economics, and methodological innovation, with a particular focus on causal inference, field experiments, and mixed-methods research.

Humphreys' research interests encompass political violence, development economics, causal inference methodologies, and the political economy of natural resources. His work often examines how information technologies affect political engagement, the relationship between traditional and state authorities, and the impact of development assistance on collective action capacity. A significant portion of his recent work has focused on methodological innovations, particularly in integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches through causal modeling and Bayesian updating.

Humphreys' publication record demonstrates a clear evolution from early work on civil wars and resource conflicts toward increasingly sophisticated methodological contributions. His most recent publications center on research design frameworks (MIDA), causal modeling for mixed-methods research, and applications of these approaches to pressing policy questions like vaccine acceptance during the pandemic. His work consistently bridges theoretical innovation with practical applications across diverse contexts, particularly in developing countries.

Humphreys has authored or co-authored numerous influential publications in top journals including American Political Science Review, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Science. His methodological contributions, particularly the DeclareDesign framework and the Integrated Inferences approach, have gained significant traction in political methodology circles. He has also contributed to important policy-relevant research on topics including democratic practices, gender quotas, and the political economy of development assistance.

As director of the Institutions and Political Inequality group at WZB Berlin, Humphreys leads research examining how institutional arrangements affect political inequality. His work often involves large-scale field experiments conducted across multiple countries, demonstrating a commitment to rigorous empirical testing of theoretical propositions in real-world settings. His research has been supported by major funding agencies and has influenced both academic debates and policy discussions in international development contexts.