Matthew K. Ribar

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the department of political science at Washington University in St. Louis, housed within the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. I study the political economy of land, development, and violence with a regional focus on West Africa. My book project explores an empirical puzzle in comparative politics: why do formal land titles remain rare across sub-Saharan Africa? Empirical research suggests that households who formalize their agricultural landholdings benefit relative to households that do not. Written land titles are available on-demand in many African countries. However, few households apply to formalize their land.

A parallel track of my research agenda explores social cohesion and violent conflict. I frequently collaborate with Mercy Corps on a variety of programs, including a randomized control trial on conflict prevention in Niger.

I earned my Ph.D. at the department of political science at Stanford University in 2025. I also hold an MA in political science from Stanford University and a BA in International Relations jointly from the College of William & Mary and the University of St. Andrews. My work has also been supported by the United States Agency for International Development, the National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship program, the Structural Transformation and Economic Growth Initiative, the Stanford King Center on Global Development, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and a SurveyCTO data collection grant.

Before my Ph.D., I worked as a program associate at Mathematica Policy Research; I supported impact evaluations of Millennium Challenge Corporation programs in Senegal, Benin, Liberia, and Cabo Verde. I also worked for the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) project and for the Pacific Small Arms Action Group.