Carlos Molina is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the Darla Moore School of Business. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in May 2023. His research explores broad questions at the intersection of political economy, economic development, and behavioral economics. His first research stream examines how information diffusion, particularly through new information technologies, helps explain salient political events, such as the rise in affective polarization and collective action. His second research stream studies barriers to development and the performance of democratic institutions.