
Biography
James D. Long is a Professor of Political Science and a co-founder of the Political Economy Forum at the University of Washington. He is a faculty affiliate at the University of Washington’s Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CSSS), Technology and Social Change Group (TASCHA), African Studies Program, and Near and Middle East Studies Program; and UC-Berkeley’s Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and Evidence in Governance & Politics (EGAP).
Previously, James was an Academy Scholar at the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, dissertation fellow at the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, a Jennings Randolph Peace Scholar at the US Institute of Peace, and a Fulbright Scholar.
His research in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia focuses on elections in developing countries, including the determinants of voting behavior, the dynamics of electoral fraud, the impact of ICT and digital media on corruption monitoring, and the effects of civil war and insurgency on state-building. He is the host of the Forum’s podcast series, “Neither Free Nor Fair?” about election security and the fate of democracy in the 21st century.
James mixes quantitative, experimental, and qualitative field research methods, including household surveys, exit polls, field experiments, randomized control trials/impact evaluation, election forensics, and ethnography. His research has been funded by the US Agency for International Development, National Science Foundation, Qualcomm, UCSD, Democracy International, World Vision, Development and Conflict Research, USIP, and Fulbright.
His most recent work, the subject of a TedX@UW talk, examines ways that ICT and digital media can address problems of information and human welfare in developing countries, building multi-channel platforms that drive citizen engagement, reporting, and monitoring on matters related to peace-building, elections, government performance, corruption, and service provision.
In 2010, he served as Democracy Internationalʼs Research Director for their Election Observation mission for Afghanistan and has observed elections in South Africa (2014), Kenya (2013, 2007), Egypt (2011), Uganda (2011), Afghanistan (2014, 2010, 2009), and Ghana (2008).
James received a PhD in Political Science from UC San Diego, an MSc (with Merit) in African Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and BA (High Honors) in International Relations and History from the College of William & Mary.
Research
Selected Research
- James D. Long, 2024. Review of Voter Backlash and Elite Misperception: The Logic of Violence in Electoral Competition, by Steven C. Rosenzweig, Perspectives on Politics.
- Aaron Erlich, Karen Ferree, Clark Gibson, Danielle Jung, James D. Long and Craig McIntosh. 2024. Using Communications Technology to Promote Democratic Participation: Experimental Evidence from South Africa, Economic Development and Cultural Change 72 (3): 1425- 1463.
- Aaron Erlich, Danielle F. Jung and James D. Long. 2024. Covering the Campaign: Computational Tools for Measuring Differences in Candidate and Party News Coverage with Application to an Emerging Democracy, Social Science Computer Review.
- Danielle F. Jung and James D. Long. 2023. The Social Origins of Electoral Participation in Emerging Democracies, Cambridge University Press, Elements Series on Campaigns & Elections.
- Karen E. Ferree, Clark C. Gibson, James D. Long. 2021. Mixed records, complexity, and ethnic voting in African elections, World Development, 141, May 2021: 105418-105427.
- Matt Ziegler, Morgan Wack, Nancy Ingutia, Ian Muiruri, Nicholas Njogu, James D. Long, & Kurtis Heimerl. 2020. Can Phones Build Relationships? A Case Study of a Kenyan Wildlife Conservancy’s Community Development, The Third ACM Conference on Computing & Sustainable Societies (ACM COMPASS) (winner of ACM COMPASS Best Paper award).
- James D. Long. 2020. Review of The Corruption Cure: How Citizens & Leaders Can Combat Graft By Robert I. Rotberg, International Studies Review.
- James D. Long. 2020. “Civil Conflict, Power-Sharing, Truth and Reconciliation (2005-2013),” in Oxford Handbook of Kenyan Politics, eds. Nicholas Cheeseman, Karuti Kanyinga, & Gabrielle Lynch, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- James D. Long. 2020. “Voting Behavior in Africa’s Emerging Democracies,” in Routledge Handbook of Democratization in Africa, eds. Gabrielle Lynch and Peter VonDoepp, New York: Routledge.
- James D. Long. 2020. “Protecting Electoral Integrity in Emerging Democracies,” in An Introduction to Development Engineering, eds. Ashok Gadgil, Temina Madon, & Anustubh Agnihotria. Springer.
- Matt Ziegler, Morgan Wack, Nancy Ingutia, Ian Muiruri, Nicholas Njogu, James D. Long, & Kurtis Heimerl. “Phone Services to Improve Wildlife Conservancy Community Relations,” The Third ACM Conference on Computing & Sustainable Societies (ACM COMPASS) 2020.
- Luke N. Condra, Michael Callen, Radha K. Iyengar, James D. Long, and Jacob N. Shapiro. "Damaging Democracy? Security Provision and Turnout in Afghan Elections" Economics & Politics, 31, 2: 2019, 163-193
- Sarah K. Dreier, James D. Long and Stephen Winkler. “African, Religious, and Tolerant? How Religious Diversity Shapes Attitudes Toward Sexual Minorities in Africa.” Politics and Religion, vol. 13, no. 2, 2020, pp. 273–303., doi:10.1017/S1755048319000348.
- Eli Berman, Michael Callen, Clark Gibson, James D. Long and Arman Rezaee. “Elections and Government Legitimacy in Afghanistan” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 168, 2019, 292-317.
- James D. Long. 2018. Review of The Politics of Technology in Africa: Communication, Development, and Nation-Building in Ethiopia. By Iginio Gagliardone, Perspectives on Politics.
- James D. Long. 2018. Review of The Politics of Technology in Africa: Communication, Development, and Nation-Building in Ethiopia. By Iginio Gagliardone, Perspectives on Politics.
- Aaron Erlich, Danielle Jung, James D. Long and Craig McIntosh. “The Double-Edged Sword of Mobilizing Citizens via Mobile Phone in Developing Countries,” Journal of Development Engineering, 3: 2018, 34-46
- Luke N. Condra, James D. Long, Andrew C. Shaver, and Austin L. Wright. 2018. "The Logic of Insurgent Electoral Violence." American Economic Review, 108 (11): 2019, 3199-3231.
- Jeremy Horowitz and James D. Long. 2016. Ethnicity, Information, and Strategic Voting in Multi- Ethnic Democracies: Evidence from Kenya, Electoral Studies 44: 351-361.
- Michael Callen, Clark Gibson, Danielle Jung and James D. Long. “Improving Electoral Integrity with Information and Communications Technology.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, pp. 4–17., doi:10.1017/XPS.2015.14.
- Karen Ferree and James D. Long. “Gifts, Threats, and Perceptions of Ballot Secrecy in African Elections,” African Affairs 115 (461): 2016, 621-645.
- Jeremy Horowitz and James D. Long. “Ethnicity, Information, and Strategic Voting in MultiEthnic Democracies: Evidence from Kenya,” Electoral Studies 44: 2016, 351-361.
- David Backer and James D. Long. 2015. Electoral and Party System Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science, New York: Oxford University Press.
- David Backer and James D. Long. “Electoral and Party System Development in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Oxford Bibliographies in Political Science, New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.
- James D. Long and Clark C. Gibson. “Evaluating the Roles of Ethnicity and Performance in African Elections: Evidence from an Exit Poll in Kenya.” Political Research Quarterly, vol. 68, no. 4, Dec. 2015, pp. 830–842, doi:10.1177/1065912915608946.
- Michael Callen and James D. Long. "Institutional Corruption and Election Fraud: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Afghanistan." American Economic Review 105, no. 1 (2015): 354-381.
- James D. Long, Daniel Maliniak, Susan Peterson, and Michael Tierney. "Knowledge Without Power: International Relations Scholars, U.S. Foreign Policy, and the Iraq War." International Politics, vol. 52, no. 1, pp. 20-44, 2015.
- Karen Ferree, Clark Gibson, and James D. Long. "Voting Behavior and Electoral Irregularities in Kenya's 2013 Election." Journal of Eastern African Studies, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 153-172, 2014.
- Michael Callen, Mohammad Isaqzadeh, James D. Long, and Charles Sprenger. "Violence and Risk Preference: Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan." American Economic Review, vol. 104, no. 1, pp. 123-148, 2014.
- James D. Long, Karuti Kanyinga, Karen Ferree and Clark Gibson. 2013. Kenya’s 2013 Election:Choosing Peace Over Democracy, Journal of Democracy 24 (3): 140-155.
- Karen Ferree, Clark Gibson, Karuti Kanyinga, and James D. Long. "Kenya's 2013 Election: Choosing Peace Over Democracy." Journal of Democracy 24, no. 3, 2013, pp.140-155.
- Stephan Haggard, Robert Kaufman, and James D. Long. "Income, Occupation, and Preferences for Redistribution in the Developing World." Studies in Comparative International Development, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 113-140.
- Barak Hoffman and James D. Long. "Party Attributes, Performance, and Voting in Africa," Comparative Politics, vol. 45, 2013, pp.127-146.
- Karuti Kanyinga, James D. Long and David Ndii. 2010. “Was it Rigged? A Forensic Analysis of Vote Returns in Kenya’s 2007 Election,” in Democratic Gains and Gaps: A Study of the 2007 Kenyan General Elections, Nairobi: Society for International Development.
- Karuti Kanyinga and James D. Long. "The Political Economy of Reforms in Kenya." African Studies Review, vol. 55, no. 1, 2012, pp. 31-51.
- David Backer, Joseph Lahouchuc and James D. Long. 2010. “Addressing the Post-Election Violence: Micro-Level Perspectives on Transitional Justice in Kenya,” The Politics of Violence and Accountability in Kenya, Oxford Transitional Justice Research Centre, Oxford University.
- Karuti Kanyinga, James D. Long, and David Ndii. "Democratic Gains and Gaps: A Study of the 2007 Kenyan General Elections, Nairobi, Kenya." Society for International Development, 2010.
- David Backer, Joseph Lahouchuc, and James D. Long. "The Politics of Violence and Accountability in Kenya." Oxford Transitional Justice Research Centre, Oxford University, 2010. Download PDF
- Clark Gibson and James D. Long. "The Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Kenya. December 2007: Evidence from an Exit Poll". Electoral Studies, 28, no. 3, 2009.