Matthew Ribar

Matthew Ribar studies the political economy of land, development, and violence with a regional focus on West Africa. His 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 his research agenda explores social cohesion and violent conflict. He frequently collaborates with Mercy Corps, an international NGO, on a variety of programs.

His work has 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. He has published in journals including the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Global Security Studies, and International Studies Perspectives.

He earned his Ph.D. at the department of political science at Stanford University in 2025. He also holds 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. Before his Ph.D., he worked as a program associate at Mathematica Policy Research supporting impact evaluations of Millennium Challenge Corporation programs in Senegal, Benin, Liberia, and Cabo Verde.