Miguel Ortiz

Miguel Ortiz is an incoming Assistant Professor at the Vancouver School of Economics, University of British Columbia, starting Fall 2025. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Princeton University’s Research Program in Development Economics. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley and a BA in Economics from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.

Research Interests:

• Political Economy
• Development Economics
• Behavioural Economics
• Conflict and Intergroup Relations

His research combines experimental and field methods to study topics such as state taxation under weak institutions, social integration in divided societies, and the impact of foreign managerial practices in developing economies. His work has been published in top journals and recognized with awards such as the Weiss Family Distinguished Paper at NEUDC 2023.

Selected Publications and Working Papers:

• Monopoly of Taxation Without a Monopoly of Violence (Review of Economic Studies, 2024) explores how weak states balance taxation and violence.
• Hate, Fear and Intergroup Conflict (NEUDC 2023) presents experimental evidence from Nigeria on drivers of conflict.
• Ongoing RCTs examine market integration in Nigeria and Chinese firm practices in Ethiopia.

Scientific Awards:

• Weiss Family Distinguished Paper at NEUDC 2023

Advising and Grants: No formal advisees are listed. Full funding has been secured for his project on Ethiopian factories, indicating active grant support. His affiliation with Princeton and upcoming role at UBC reflect strong institutional backing.

Labs and Research Teams: Affiliated with the Research Program in Development Economics at Princeton University. His collaborative work includes researchers such as Soeren Henn, Mastaki Mugaruka, Raúl Sánchez de la Sierra, David Wu, Eunice B. Atajiri, Shibiru Ayalew, and David Qihang Wu.