Jens Hainmueller

Research Statement

Jens Hainmueller develops and applies statistical methods to answer questions in a range of social science areas, including politics, economics, and business. He has published over 30 journal articles and has won eight “best of” research awards. He is the faculty director and founder of the Stanford Immigration Policy Lab (IPL). His research team at IPL uses field experiments and quasi-experimental methods to design and evaluate the impact of immigration policies in the U.S. and European countries. He also pursues a research program that examines the viability of private sector initiatives and standards for addressing social and environmental issues in global supply chains. He has also developed statistical methods for conjoint analysis and program evaluation.

Research Interests

• Political Economy
• Immigration
• Global Supply Chains
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Private Governance

Bio

Jens Hainmueller is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Stanford University.  He also holds a courtesy appointment in the Graduate School of Business. Before moving to Stanford in 2014, he served on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the faculty director and founder of the Stanford Immigration Policy Lab (IPL). He is also a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Quantitative Social Science (Harvard University) and the Stanford Europe Center. He has published over 30 articles, many of them in leading journals general science journals or top field journals in political science, economics, and statistics. He has also published three open source software packages. 

Academic Degrees

• PhD, Harvard University, 2009
• MPA, Havard University, Kennedy School of Government, 2005
• MSc, London School of Econimics (with distinction), 2003
• BA, University of Tuebingen, 2001

Academic Appointments

• Associate Professor (with tenure), Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012-2013
• Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009-2012

Professional Experience

• Statistical consultant, International Finance Corporation, The World Bank Group
• Statistical consultant, German Federal Labor Market Agency
• Statistical consultant, German Research Institute for Labor Market Policy

Awards and Honors

• Andrew Carnegie Fellow 2016-2017. Awarded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to the country's most creative thinkers to support research on challenges to de
• Political Analysis Editors' Choice Award, The Society for Political Methodology, 2014
• Warren Miller Prize, The Society for Political Methodology, 2013
• Best Paper on the study of Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior, American Political Science Association, 2013
• Best Paper on the study of Labor in Politics, American Political Science Association, 2012
• Robert H. Durr Award, Midwest Political Science Association, 2012
• Senator Charles Sumner Best Dissertation Prize, Harvard University, 2009
• Robert H. Durr Award, Midwest Political Science Association, 2008
• Gosnell Prize for Excellence in Political Methodology, The Society for Political Methodology, 2007
• Awards for Distinguished Teaching, Harvard Bok Center, 2007
• The Political Methodology Emerging Scholar Award, The Society for Political Methodology, 2014

In the Media

Inside Trading in Congress? Not quite

Boston Globe, December 14, 2011

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenUsing Data to Find the Best Homes for Refugees

January 30, 2018

Stanford scholars develop an algorithm to choose cities for resettlement.

writtenEuropeans Favor Fairness in Allocating Asylum Seekers

July 3, 2017

Stanford scholars surveyed citizens of 15 European countries and found that they support allocating asylum seekers proportional to each country’s capacity.

writtenShould States Give Driver’s Licenses to Unauthorized Residents?

April 3, 2017

New research shows a positive safety impact of a California law that gave 800,000 people a license to drive.

writtenStanford Expert Deconstructs Trump’s Immigration Policy

February 9, 2017

These rushed executive orders show a gap between the administration’s goals and reality.

writtenTwelve Business Books to Read in 2017

December 6, 2016

Reading recommendations from the Stanford GSB community.

writtenThe Economic Upside of Fast-Tracking Refugee Asylum Claims

October 24, 2016

New research examines the role of wait times on asylum-seekers’ job prospects and ability to integrate.

writtenHow to Improve Working Conditions in the Developing World

August 10, 2016

A major sporting goods manufacturer found a surprising way to improve workers’ lives while maximizing productivity.

writtenA Look Back at 2015

December 19, 2015

Explore Stanford Business stories from 2015, including pieces on technology, finance, and work-life balance.

writtenHow Citizenship for Immigrants Leads to Better Integration

October 28, 2015

Naturalized immigrants are more politically engaged and have a greater knowledge about their new country.

writtenJens Hainmueller: Will Consumers Actually Pay For Fair Trade?

April 8, 2015

Many consumers say they want ethical goods. But will they spend more for the label?