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Jan Stuck­a­tz

Tenure Track Assistant Professor

Subjects
Trade Politics Quantitative methods History North America Europe

Primary research areas

Corporate Political Activity

Firms use strategies such as lobbying and campaign contributions to influence political decision-making. My research examines the motivations behind corporate political activity and its consequences for firms and the broader political environment.

Politics in the Workplace

Corporations increasingly communicate political positions to employees and external audiences. I study why firms take political stances and how workplace politics shape employee behavior and organizational performance.

Revolving Door between Politics and Business

The revolving door—the movement of government officials into private-sector roles, and vice versa—is widespread. I investigate firms’ incentives to hire former officials, the organizational and political consequences of these hires, and the motivations of individuals who move between the public and private sectors.

Historical Political Economy of National Socialism

I study why individuals joined and supported Nazi organizations, as well as the political and economic effects of denazification in post–World War II Germany. To address these questions, I draw on large-scale data from millions of denazification questionnaires collected after the war.

Politics of International Trade

I study why firms engage in corporate political activity around international trade and what effects this has. I also examine how trade policies are implemented, and how firms use free trade agreements and other policy instruments.

Understanding the role of firms in politics

I am a political economist studying the interactions between firms and politics. I am particularly interested in lobbying, campaign finance, corporate political connections, and the role of politics in the workplace. Moreover, I research the historical political economy with an emphasis on National Socialism

I specialize in quantitative analyses of big datasets. I use methods of causal inference for observational and experimental data, machine learning, and natural language processing tools.

I am also an Affiliate Fellow at the Stigler Center, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.  I have held postdoctoral and visiting positions at Princeton University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Humboldt University Berlin, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST). 

Recent research projects

The Corporate Revolving Door

The Corporate Revolving Door project, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, offers the first large scale, cross-country study of the movement of public officials into corporate positions across the United States and Western Europe. Jan Stuckatz is co-PI.

Who became a Nazi?

We study who joined the Nazi movement, why, and with what effects. To answer these questions, we use novel data from historical denazification questionnaires distributed in post-World War 2 Germany.
DeNazDB Project Website

Who was Denazified? Comparative Denazification in Post-World War 2 Germany

We use millions of denazification questionnaires to examine transitional justice in post-World War 2 Germany. We research the long-run effects of denazification on individuals, politics, and the economy.
Independent Research Fund Denmark: "Who was Denazified?” Project

Outside activities

I have no outside employments or activities