Raj Patel

Interim Associate Director
PPE Fellow
312 Claudia Cohen Hall

Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, 2020

My research interests lie at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and economics. My work aims to understand the role that informal institutions play in solving collective action problems. I'm particularly interested in the political economy of corruption and the provision of public goods in the developing world. As a project consultant at the Chatham House Africa Programme, I investigate social norms surrounding corrupt practices in Nigeria. As a core member of the Penn Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, I study how communities resolve collective dilemmas to secure access to clean water and sanitation in India.

Courses Taught: 

PPE 402 Research in PPE: Corruption and Development (Spring)
PPE 402 Research in PPE: Institutions and Development (Spring)
PPE 470 Capstone: Social Policy: Philosophy and Public Policy (Fall & Spring)
PPE 470 Capstone: Social Policy: Corruption and Development (Fall)