Ryan Gibbons

I am a third-year PhD student in Political Science at the University of Chicago studying formal theory and comparative politics.

My work primarily involves applications of formal theory to discussions of demagoguery, populism, and state accountability over long-term policy spans, with particular applications to the politics of independent regulators. I am particularly interested in exploring how we can construct effective, resilient, and “good” institutions in order to deliver efficient policy outcomes despite anti-institutional threats. Beyond formal theory, I am interested in mixed-method approaches to evaluate such institutions and stake normative claims therein.

I began my doctoral coursework in the fall of 2024 after completing my undergraduate degree at Emory University. In addition to numerous research positions, I have prior experience in nonprofit leadership, community engagement, management consulting, and political campaigning.

Outside of academia, I coach young swimmers in Chicago, focusing on leadership development and character-building. I also occasionally introduce them to foundational concepts of political economy and public goods; they sometimes listen.