Skip to content
  • Students & Alumni
    • Career Services
    • Alumni Relations
    • Student Support
    • Graduate Resource Library
    • For Employers
  • News
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Luskin Summit
    • Luskin Lecture Series
    • California Policy Briefing
    • Commencement
  • Students & Alumni
    • Career Services
    • Alumni Relations
    • Student Support
    • Graduate Resource Library
    • For Employers
  • News
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Luskin Summit
    • Luskin Lecture Series
    • California Policy Briefing
    • Commencement
Giving
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Logo
  • Academics
    Departments & Programs
    • Global Public Affairs
    • Public Policy
    • Real Estate Development
    • Social Welfare
    • Urban Planning
    • Undergraduate Program
    • Global Public Affairs
    • Public Policy
    • Real Estate Development
    • Social Welfare
    • Urban Planning
    • Undergraduate Program
    Graduate Degrees
    • Master of Global Public Affairs (MGPA)
    • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
    • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
    • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
    • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
    • PhD in Social Welfare
    • PhD in Urban Planning
    • Master of Global Public Affairs (MGPA)
    • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
    • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
    • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
    • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
    • PhD in Social Welfare
    • PhD in Urban Planning
    Undergraduate Degrees
    • BA in Public Affairs
    • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
    • Minor in Gerontology
    • Minor in Public Affairs
    • BA in Public Affairs
    • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
    • Minor in Gerontology
    • Minor in Public Affairs
    Professional Certificates
    • AI in Public Affairs Certificate
    • AI in Public Affairs Certificate
  • Admissions
    Program Specific Admissions
    • Global Public Affairs
    • Public Policy
    • Real Estate Development
    • Social Welfare
    • Urban Planning
    • Undergraduate Program
    • Global Public Affairs
    • Public Policy
    • Real Estate Development
    • Social Welfare
    • Urban Planning
    • Undergraduate Program
  • Faculty
    Our Faculty
    • All Faculty
    • Public Policy
    • Real Estate Development
    • Social Welfare
    • Urban Planning
    • All Faculty
    • Public Policy
    • Real Estate Development
    • Social Welfare
    • Urban Planning
    Leadership
    • Our Dean
    • Board of Advisors
    • Faculty Executive Committee
    • Our Dean
    • Board of Advisors
    • Faculty Executive Committee
  • Research Centers
    • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL)

      Empowers stakeholders with data to make informed decisions for children, families, and communities.

    • Berggruen Governance Index

      Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

    • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

      Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

    • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

      Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

    • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL)

      Empowers stakeholders with data to make informed decisions for children, families, and communities.

    • Berggruen Governance Index

      Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

    • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

      Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

    • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

      Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

    • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

      Advances research, education, and meaningful civic engagement on transportation issues.

    • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

      Advances scholarship that confronts threats to democracy in America and around the world.

    • Latin American Cities Initiative

      Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

    • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

      Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

    • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

      Advances research, education, and meaningful civic engagement on transportation issues.

    • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

      Advances scholarship that confronts threats to democracy in America and around the world.

    • Latin American Cities Initiative

      Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

    • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

      Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

    • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

      Studying housing affordability and transportation equity in the L.A. region.

    • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

      Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

    • Luskin Center for Innovation

      Informing effective and equitable environmental policy that improves lives.

    • UCLA Voting Rights Project

      The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

    • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

      Studying housing affordability and transportation equity in the L.A. region.

    • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

      Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

    • Luskin Center for Innovation

      Informing effective and equitable environmental policy that improves lives.

    • UCLA Voting Rights Project

      The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

    All Research Centers
  • Outcomes
Home / Darin Christensen
dchristensen-portrait
  • Global Public Affairs, Public Policy

Darin Christensen

Chair, Global Public Affairs Program; Associate Professor of Public Policy and Political Science

Download CV

Darin Christensen is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received his Ph.D. in political science and M.A. in economics from Stanford University.

Darin studies political economy, focusing on institutions and policies that promote investment and mitigate social conflict in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. He has consulted on projects for The Asia Foundation, USAID, and The World Bank.

Darin is a co-founder of the Project on Resources and Governance (PRG) and an affiliate of several academic centers, including the California Center for Population Research, Center for Effective Global Action, Evidence in Governance and Politics, and UCLA’s African Studies Center.

More information about his research and teaching can be found at darinchristensen.com.

Read More

Educational Background

  • Ph.D. in Political Science, Stanford University
  • M.A. in Economics, Stanford University
  • A.B. in Political Science and German, Duke University

Areas of Expertise

  • Conflict, Economic Development, Political Economy

Latest News

A handful of cassiterite, the main ore in tin, which is being mined in areas being monitored through due diligence programs
UCLA Researchers Evaluate Efforts to Curb Trade of Conflict Minerals
June 3, 2025

Report finds ‘meaningful progress’ over past decade, but issues including child labor violations persist

plants near storm drain on residential street on rainy day
Informing Equitable Stormwater Investments in L.A. County
August 5, 2022

Findings from a new UCLA report emphasize the importance of community participation to identify needs and solutions at the neighborhood level.

Latest News

A handful of cassiterite, the main ore in tin, which is being mined in areas being monitored through due diligence programs

UCLA Researchers Evaluate Efforts to Curb Trade of Conflict Minerals

June 3, 2025

Report finds ‘meaningful progress’ over past decade, but issues including child labor violations persist

plants near storm drain on residential street on rainy day

Informing Equitable Stormwater Investments in L.A. County

August 5, 2022

Findings from a new UCLA report emphasize the importance of community participation to identify needs and solutions at the neighborhood level.

Citizen Monitoring May Help Forest Conservation Globally

July 20, 2021

UCLA Luskin research is among studies from six world regions evaluating community monitoring of common-pool resources such as forests and water.

Luskin Summit Illuminates Pathway to Park Equity

February 18, 2021

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of increased access to public parks and green spaces, especially in underserved communities.

A U.N. World Food Program staging area for Ebola response in Sierra Leone

What the Ebola Outbreak Could Teach Us About How to Contain the Novel Coronavirus

March 27, 2020

New study underscores the importance of public engagement and trust during health crises

No more articles to load

Contact Information

Phone

(310) 825-7196

Email

darinc@luskin.ucla.edu

Office Location

6341, Public Affairs

Media Contact

For media inquiries, contact Kate Shirley at kshirley@luskin.ucla.edu (email preferred) or 310-206-5252.

Selected Publications:
Books
Darin Christensen, Francisco Garfias (2023). Political Economy. In Andrew Rudalevige and Joshua Tucker, A Political Science Experiment. CritReview.

Darin Christensen, David D Laitin (2019). African States Since Independence: Order, Development & Democracy. Yale University Press.Articles

Darin Christensen, Graeme Blair, Michael Gibilisco (2026). The Point of Attack: Where and Why Does Oil Cause Armed Conflict in Africa?. Accepted, Journal of Politics.
Darin Christensen, Alexandra Hartman, Cyrus Samii, Alessandro Toppeta (2025). Interest-based Negotiation over Natural Resources: Experimental Evidence from Liberia. Journal of the European Economic Association.
Darin Christensen, Allison Grossman, Guy Grossman, Jon Kurtz, Jeremy Weinstein, Jessical Wolff (2025). Ethical Oversight in Impact Evaluations: External Advisory Committees to Assess Programming Risks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Darin Christensen, Michael Gibilisco (2024). How Budgets Shape Power Sharing in Autocracies. Quarterly Journal of Political Science.Darin Christensen, Graeme Blair, Valerie Wirtschafter (2022). How Does Armed Conflict Shape Investment? Evidence from the Mining Sector. Journal of Politics.

Darin Christensen, Francisco Garfias (2021). The Politics of Property Taxation: Fiscal Infrastructure and Electoral Incentives in Brazil. Journal of Politics.Tara Slough, Daniel Rubenson, Ro’ee Levy, Darin Christensen, 15 others (2021). Adoption of Community Monitoring Improves Common Pool Resource Management Across Contexts. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Darin Christensen, Alexandra Hartman, Cyrus Samii (2021). Citizen Monitoring Promotes Informed and Inclusive Forest Governance in Liberia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Darin Christensen, Alexandra Hartman, Cyrus Samii (2021). Legibility and External Investment: An Institutional Natural Experiment in Liberia. International Organization.Darin Christensen, Graeme Blair, Aaron Rudkin (2021). Do Commodity Price Shocks Cause Armed Conflict? A Meta-Analysis of Natural Experiments. American Political Science Review.

Darin Christensen, Oeindrila Dube, Johannes Haushofer, Bilal Siddiqi, Maarten Voors (2021). Building Resilient Health Systems: Experimental Evidence from Sierra Leone and the 2014 Ebola Outbreak. Quarterly Journal of Economics.

Darin Christensen, Oeindrila Dube, Johannes Haushofer, Bilal Siddiqi, Maarten Voors (2020). Community-based Crisis Response: Evidence from Sierra Leone’s Ebola Outbreak. AEA Papers and Proceedings.
Darin Christensen, Simon Ejdemyr (2020). Do Elections Improve Constituency Responsiveness? Evidence from U.S. Cities. Political Science Research and Methods.
Darin Christensen, Mai Nguyen, Renard Sexton (2019). Strategic Violence during Democratization: Evidence from Myanmar. World Politics.
Working Papers

Darin Christensen, Tamma Carleton, Esther Rolf, Cullen Molitor, Shopnavo Biswas, Karena Yan, Graeme Blair (2026). Estimating the Footprint of Artisanal Mining in Africa. NBER Working Paper.Oguzhan Turkoglu, Darin Christensen, Micael Canavan (2026). Soldiers’ Funerals Increase Nationalism: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Turkey. R&R, PSRM.

Ana De La O, Donald Green, Peter John, Darin Christensen, 21 others (2026). Barriers to Formalization: Evidence from Six Randomized Experiments on Transaction Costs, Public Services, and Taxation in the Global South. Working Paper.

Learn more about UCLA Luskin

Find contact information and get answers to your questions.

Contact Us

Public Affairs Building
337 Charles E. Young Drive East
Los Angeles, California 90095

Linkedin Youtube Instagram Facebook X-twitter
Campus Resources
  • Map, Directions, Parking
  • Directory
  • Academic Calendar
  • Careers
  • Map, Directions, Parking
  • Directory
  • Academic Calendar
  • Careers
School Resources
  • About
  • Our Dean
  • Administration
  • Luskin School Intranet
  • Board of Advisors
  • Contact Us
  • Visit Us
  • About
  • Our Dean
  • Administration
  • Luskin School Intranet
  • Board of Advisors
  • Contact Us
  • Visit Us
UCLA logo
© 2026 Regents of the University of California
  • Emergency
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy & Terms of Use
  • Emergency
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy & Terms of Use
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X-twitter Youtube Threads
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Logo
Academics
Departments
  • Global Public Affairs
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Global Public Affairs
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
Graduate Programs
  • Master of Global Public Affairs (MGPA)
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
  • Master of Global Public Affairs (MGPA)
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
Undergraduate Programs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
Professional Certificates
  • AI in Public Affairs Certificate
  • AI in Public Affairs Certificate
Admissions
Program Specific Admissions
  • Global Public Affairs
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Global Public Affairs
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
Faculty
Our Faculty
  • All Faculty
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
  • All Faculty
  • Public Policy
  • Real Estate Development
  • Social Welfare
  • Urban Planning
Leadership
  • Our Dean
  • Board of Advisors
  • Faculty Executive Committee
  • Our Dean
  • Board of Advisors
  • Faculty Executive Committee
Research Centers
  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL)

    Empowers stakeholders with data to make informed decisions for children, families, and communities.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL)

    Empowers stakeholders with data to make informed decisions for children, families, and communities.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    Advances research, education, and meaningful civic engagement on transportation issues.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship that confronts threats to democracy in America and around the world.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    Advances research, education, and meaningful civic engagement on transportation issues.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship that confronts threats to democracy in America and around the world.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Studying housing affordability and transportation equity in the L.A. region.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation

    Informing effective and equitable environmental policy that improves lives.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Studying housing affordability and transportation equity in the L.A. region.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation

    Informing effective and equitable environmental policy that improves lives.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

All Research Centers
Outcomes
Common Search Terms

Results will show as you type.