News & Stories

Meet New Faculty: Chris Blattman

Posted Jul 22 2012

Chris comes to SIPA from Yale, where he had taught since 2008. He earned his PhD in economics at the University of California, Berkeley.

What do you study?

A lot of my current work looks at young unemployed violent men. I am interested in why they are unemployed and violent, and what kind of policies can reduce poverty and aggression. Most of my work is in Africa, with ex-combatants or street youth, often in fragile states. A lot of people think poverty causes aggression. I am doubtful, and think they might simply have common psychological roots that programs can address. I'm running some experimental programs and we will see if I am right or not.

What do you teach?

This coming year I'm teaching introductory courses on international development to undergraduates and SIPA students, and a more advanced PhD course on development in the politics department. I've always wanted to call the course “Why are some countries poor, unequal and violent, and what (if anything) can the West do about it?” But that doesn’t fit on a transcript.

What do you consider today’s most pressing global issue?

A couple of years ago I would have said global poverty or civil warfare.

Today I see these more as outcomes rather than issues that can be tackled directly. What some places lack is a strong state that is not too strong — one that is accountable to the people, but also one that isn't easily tossed away or overthrown. That kind of state is a tough thing to develop, and it will probably take most countries a few generations or more. I don't think most policymakers recognize this, and it's one reason that attempts to state build in a year or even a decade seem so disappointing.

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

I take off my professor hat once a day and blog on international development, and I'm pleased by all the students and aspiring development workers who say they found the advice I give helpful. I never had that kind of advice, and wish I did, and blogs are a terrific way to share those lessons.

Why did you choose to come to SIPA?

I like being part of both an academic department (politics) and a policy school. It lets me interact with future public servants pursue my policy interests in African development, poverty reduction, post-conflict stabilization, and field experiments. There are a lot of terrific scholars at Columbia that work on the subject. Plus, my family is here in the city.