I am an applied microeconomist working at the intersection of development economics, political economy, and behavioral economics. My research investigates the political economy of conflict and its consequences for institutional trust, democratic preferences, and governance. I focus on understanding how exogenous shocks—such as exposure to violence, territorial occupation, or shifts in political representation—shape individual choices and social norms, particularly in contexts marked by ethnic polarization and institutional fragility. My work aims to bridge the gap between applied microeconomics and political economy to isolate the causal mechanisms linking conflict to political attitudes and human development.
Levine, D. K., Martinelli, C., & Stoelinga, N. (2026). Vote or Fight?. The Economic Journal. [link]
Stoelinga, N., & Tähtinen, T. (2026). Conflict and democratic preferences. World Development, 202, 107341. [link]
Stoelinga, N. (2024). Cultivation and competition in Colombia: Disentangling the effects of coca price changes on violence. Journal of International Development, 36(2), 1007-1042. [link]
Stoelinga, N. (2022). Estimating the alliance effect: a synthetic control approach. Defence Studies, 22(2), 277-294. [link]
Progessive rulings and social norm enforcement