David Skarbek

I am the Michael Targoff Professor of Political Economy at Brown University. My work studies the political economy of institutions and development, with a focus on criminal governance. My research has appeared in journals in criminology, economics, and political science, and I've published two award-winning books, both with Oxford University Press. 

I also enjoy building academic programs in philosophy, politics, and economics. In 2012, I joined the newly-established Department of Political Economy at King's College London, where I helped build a new department and degree programs in Political Economy and PPE. As the inaugural Director of Brown's PPE Center, we are likewise building a wide range of vibrant academic programs and scholarly conversations that bridge traditional disciplinary boundaries.