Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Global Affairs at Yale University. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University in June 2025, and from 2025-26 I was a Harvard Academy Scholar.

My research focuses on corruption, public goods provision, and state-building in low-income countries. I am working on a book project that documents and explains patterns of state expansion into historically neglected regions of sub-Saharan Africa. My research combines observational data from satellite imagery and administrative records with data collection in the field. My field-based research in concentrated in Uganda and Ghana.

My research has been published in the American Journal of Political Science and International Organization. Prior to graduate school, I worked on issues related to Indian politics as a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. I received a B.A. summa cum laude in Politics from Princeton University.

You can reach me by email at james.hintson@yale.edu.