Bio


Jeremy Weinstein is Kleinheinz Professor of International Studies, Faculty Director of Stanford Impact Labs, and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research at Stanford University. He also is faculty co-director of the Immigration Policy Lab. In addition, he is a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. He previously served as Fisher Family Director of Stanford Global Studies.

His research focuses on civil wars and political violence; ethnic politics; the political economy of development; democracy and accountability; and migration. He is the author of Inside Rebellion: The Politics of Insurgent Violence (Cambridge University Press), which received the William Riker Prize for the best book on political economy. He is also the co-author of Coethnicity: Diversity and the Dilemmas of Collective Action (Russell Sage Foundation), which received the Gregory Luebbert Award for the best book in comparative politics. He has published widely in leading journals including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Annual Review of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Journal of Democracy, International Organization, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science, and World Development, among others.

In recent years, he has also written on issues at the intersection of technology and democracy, including in a co-authored book, System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot (Harper Collins).

Weinstein received the International Studies Association’s Karl Deutsch Award in 2013. The award is given to a scholar younger than 40 or within 10 years of earning a Ph.D. who has made the most significant contribution to the study of international relations. He also received the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Stanford in 2007.

He has also worked at the highest levels of government on major foreign policy and national security challenges, engaging in both global diplomacy and national policy-making. Between 2013 and 2015, Weinstein served as the Deputy to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and before that as the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. As Deputy, Weinstein was a standing member of the National Security Council Deputies’ Committee – the sub-cabinet policy committee with primary responsibility for advising the National Security Council, the Cabinet, and the President on the full range of foreign policy issues, including global counterterrorism, nonproliferation, U.S. policy in the Middle East, the strategic rebalance to Asia, cyber threats, among a wide variety of other issues.

During President Obama’s first term, he served as Director for Development and Democracy on the National Security Council staff at the White House between 2009 and 2011. In this capacity, he played a key role in the National Security Council’s work on global development, democracy and human rights, and anti-corruption, with a global portfolio. Before joining the White House staff, Weinstein served as an advisor to the Obama campaign and, during the transition, as a member of the National Security Policy Working Group and the Foreign Assistance Agency Review Team.

Weinstein obtained a BA with high honors from Swarthmore College, and an MA and PhD in political economy and government from Harvard University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on a number of non-profit boards and advisory groups.

Honors & Awards


  • Karl Deutsch Award, The International Studies Association (2013)
  • Gregory Luebbert Prize for Best Book in Comparative Politics, American Political Science Association (2010)
  • Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching in the First Years of Teaching, Stanford University (2008)
  • Heinz Eulau Award for Best Article in the American Political Science Review, American Political Science Review (2008)
  • Michael Wallerstein Award for Best Article in Political Economy, American Political Science Association (2008)
  • William Riker Prize for Best Book in Political Economy, American Political Science Association (2008)
  • Award for Best Article, African Politics Conference Group (2007)
  • Gregory Luebbert Prize for Best Article Published in Comparative Politics, American Political Science Association (2007)
  • Sage Prize for Best Paper in Comparative Politics, American Political Science Association (2005)
  • Derek Bok Certificate for Excellence in Teaching, Harvard University (2000)
  • Joseph Levenson Memorial Teaching Award, Awarded to the Outstanding Teaching Fellow, Harvard University (2000)
  • Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa (1997)
  • The Dean’s Award for Service, Swarthmore College (1997)
  • The Ivy Award, Outstanding Graduating Senior, Swarthmore College (1997)
  • Member of the All-College Academic Second Team, U.S.A. Today Scholarship Competition (1996)
  • Sara Kaign Cooper Scholarship, Outstanding Junior, Swarthmore College (1996)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Member of the Board of Trustees, MySociety (2013 - Present)
  • Member of the IBP Council, International Budget Partnership (2012 - Present)
  • Member of the Board of Trustees, Global Integrity (2012 - Present)
  • Life Member, Council on Foreign Relations (2012 - Present)
  • Member of the Board of Trustees Committees: Social Responsibility, Development, Academic Affairs, Swarthmore College (1999 - 2003)
  • Term Member, Council on Foreign Relations (2003 - 2008)
  • Member, Committee to Evaluate U.S. Democracy Assistance Programming, National Academy of Sciences (2007 - 2009)
  • Member, Laboratory in Comparative Ethnic Processes (LiCEP) (2000 - 2004)

Program Affiliations


  • Center for Human Rights and International Justice
  • Program in International Relations
  • Public Policy

Professional Education


  • Ph.D., Political Economy and Government, Harvard University (2003)
  • M.A., Harvard University, Political Economy and Government (2001)
  • B.A., Swarthmore College, Political Science, Economics, and Public Policy (1997)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests


Civil War, Ethnic Politics, Political Economy of Development, Democracy and Accountability, Africa

2023-24 Courses


Stanford Advisees


All Publications


  • Transforming Multilateralism: Innovat ion on a Global Stage Stanford Social Innovation Review Weinstein , J. 2013
  • The Benefits of a Big Tent: Opening Up Government in Developing Countries UCLA Law Review Discourse Weinstein , J. 2012
  • Coethnicity: Diversity and the Dilemmas of Collective Action Weinstein , J. M., Habyarimana, J., Humphreys, M., Posner , D. N. Russell Sage Foundation Publications . 2009
  • Assessing Progress toward Demobilizatio n and Reintegration in Sierra Leone In Securing Protection: Reconsidering Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Weinstein , J., Humphreys , M. Routlege Press . 2009
  • Why Are Co - Ethnics Believed to be More Trustworthy? Whom Can We Trust? How Groups, Networks, and Institutions Make Trust Possible Weinstein , J., Habyarimana , J., Humphreys , M., Posner , D. Russell Sage Foundation . 2009
  • Is it Africa's Turn? Progress in the World's Poorest Region Boston Review Weinstein , J. M. 2008; 33
  • It has been difficult to find evidence of democracy’s economic dividends: Comment on Miguel Boston Reivew Weinstein , J. 2008
  • Improving Democracy Assistance: Building Knowledge Through Evaluations and Research Weinstein , J. M. The National Academies Press. 2008
  • Better Institutions, Not Partition Foreign Affairs Weinstein , J., Habyarimana , J., Humphreys , M., Posner , D. 2008
  • Africa's Revolutionary Deficit Foreign Policy Weinstein , J. M. 2007
  • Inside Rebellion: The Politics of Insurgent Violence Weinstein , J. M. Cambridge University Press. 2006
  • Rebuilding weak states FOREIGN AFFAIRS Eizenstat, S. E., Porter, J. E., Weinstein, Y. M. 2005; 84 (1): 134-?
  • On the Brink: Weak States and US National Security Weinstein , J. The Center for Global Development. 2004
  • New Threat of Terror in the Western Hemisphere SAIS Weinstein , J. M. 2003; 23 (1)
  • Mozambique: A fading UN success story JOURNAL OF DEMOCRACY Weinstein, J. M. 2002; 13 (1): 141-156
  • Africa's "scramble for Africa" - Lessons of a continental war WORLD POLICY JOURNAL Weinstein, J. M. 2000; 17 (2): 11-20
  • Community Service Learning as Democratic Education in South Africa and the United States Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning Weinstein , J. M., Mendel-Reyes, M. 1996