Patrick Testa

Patrick Testa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and faculty affiliate of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University, with additional affiliation as a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine in 2019. His research lies at the intersection of political economy, economic history, and development economics, with particular focus on migration, conflict dynamics, and cultural economics.

Research interests center on three interconnected areas: (1) Historical and contemporary migration patterns, including forced displacement and economic migration; (2) Violence and conflict dynamics in post-Reconstruction U.S. South; and (3) Cultural and institutional interactions in economic systems. His methodological approach combines empirical economic history with microeconomic theory.

Publication trends demonstrate sustained focus on migration impacts, institutional economics, and historical development patterns. Recent articles explore how demographic shifts influence cultural landscapes, economic development trajectories, and political realignment throughout American history. Methodologically, these works employ both quantitative historical analysis and contemporary economic modeling.