Miriam Golden, Ph.D.

golden@ucla.edu

University of California, Los Angeles

Country: United States (California)

About Me:

Miriam Golden is Professor of Political Science. Her undergraduate education took place at the University of California at Berkeley and the London School of Economics and Political Science, and she received her Ph.D. from Cornell University.  Professor Golden's research is in the area of political economy. With economist Raymond Fisman, Professor Golden has recently authored Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2017). She has conducted field research on issues of corruption and political malfeasance in Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Her current field project concerns political responsiveness in Pakistan, and uses experimental design. 

Research Interests

Political Economy

Corruption

Elections

Political Elites

Countries of Interest

Pakistan

Italy

My Research:

I have conducted research on corruption, political malfeasance, electoral fraud, and political criminality in Italy, India, and Ghana. I am broadly knowledgeable about these issues. I have authored a book (Political Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know, published by Oxford University Press in 2017) that lays out a theory of why corruption is so persistent and how it might be changed.I am currently conducting experimental research on political responsiveness in Pakistan. This work involves partnering with 40 politicians, helping them script and record questions for their voters, sending the messages out to voters' cell phone numbers that my team collected, and allowing voters to respond using Interactive Voice Response technology. We then aggregate the responses and present them to the politician, and allow the politician to script and record a follow up explaining how he intends to respond. We will repeat this process multiple times until the 2018 elections.

Publications:

Books Written:

(2017) Political Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know, Oxford University Press

Corruption regularly makes front page headlines: public officials embezzling government monies, selling public offices, and trading bribes for favors to private companies generate public indignation and calls for reform. In Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know, renowned scholars Ray Fisman and Miriam A. Golden provide a deeper understanding of why corruption is so damaging politically, socially, and economically. Among the key questions examined are: is corruption the result of perverse economic incentives? Does it stem from differences in culture and tolerance for illicit acts of government officials? Why don't voters throw corrupt politicians out of office? Vivid examples from a wide range of countries and situations shed light on the causes of corruption, and how it can be combated.

Media Appearances:

Radio Appearances:

(2017) Janice Stein, Disrupting the Global Order, episode 21

The Resilience of Corruption, podcast with Janice Stein, Disrupting the Global Order. Episode 21, Apr 10, 2017.

Blog Posts:

(2017) Washington Post/The Monkey Cage

"Will the anti-Trump protests expand? That's more likely than ever before." Monkey Cage, Feb. 6, 2017. With Ray Fisman.

(2016) Slate

"Just How Badly Can the Trump Administration Corrupt the United States?" Slate, Nov. 29, 2016. With Ray Fisman.