Katherine Casey

Research Statement

Katherine Casey is an Associate Professor of Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her research explores the interactions between economic and political forces in developing countries, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. She is particularly interested in the role of information in enhancing electoral accountability, strategies to increase the productivity of government workers, and the influence of foreign aid on economic development. Her work has appeared in the American Economic Review, the Quarterly Journal of Economics and Science.

Bio

Katherine Casey is an Associate Professor of Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She teaches a Strategy Beyond Markets course for first year MBAs that is tailored to the particular opportunities and challenges facing firms investing in developing economies. Her current research examines how asymmetric information in electoral contests affects voting choice and public sector performance, and the impact of foreign aid on collective action and economic development. Katherine holds a PhD in Economics from Brown University and a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University. She has worked as a consultant for the World Bank in Madagascar, the Comoros and Indonesia, and has spent several years working with the Government of Sierra Leone.

Academic Appointments

• Associate Professor, Stanford GSB, 2016-present
• Assistant Professor, Stanford GSB, 2012-2016

Awards and Honors

• Kevin J. O’Donohue Family Faculty Scholar, Stanford GSB, 2017-2018
• John A. Gunn and Cynthia Fry Gunn Faculty Scholar, Stanford GSB, 2014-2015
• SEED Faculty I-Award, Stanford GSB, 2014-present

Teaching

Degree Courses

2016-17

POLECON 231: Strategy Beyond Markets: Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Economies

This course shares significant material with POLECON 230 and the goal of developing integrated strategies for optimal firm performance that combine elements within and beyond markets. POLECON 231 diverges from the base course to delve deeper...

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenEverything That Can Go Wrong in a Field Experiment (and What to Do About It)

January 16, 2015

Four Stanford scholars share the most important lessons they’ve learned in the field.

writtenKatherine Casey: The Role of Information in Developing-World Politics

October 22, 2013

Research in Sierra Leone offers insights into how to help voters elect better leaders, dampen ethnic rivalries, and strengthen democracy.