Mattias Polborn

Mattias Polborn is the E. Bronson Ingram Chair in Economics and Professor of Economics and Political Science at Vanderbilt University. He holds a PhD from the University of Munich (1998) and previously taught at the University of Western Ontario and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before joining Vanderbilt in 2016.

His research focuses on formal and empirical analysis of American politics, particularly candidate competition in elections and political polarization. His work integrates game theory with empirical studies of legislative behavior and institutional design.

Recent research examines veto institutions' impact on policy cooperation, electoral extremism driven by cognitive dissonance, and online education effectiveness. His publications appear in leading journals including the Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Political Science Review, and American Economic Review.

He teaches graduate Micro II (Game Theory) and mentors doctoral candidates in political economy. Current projects include expressive voting behavior and political accountability frameworks.