Michael Best
![Headshot of Michael Best](/sites/default/files/styles/hea/public/images/2022/09/Michael%20Best_Headshot.jpeg?itok=DRJEdnOi)
J-PAL Affiliated Professor
Assistant Professor of Economics
Columbia University
Michael Best is an assistant professor of economics at Columbia University. His research focuses on improving government effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries, particularly by improving tax compliance and bureaucratic performance. Prior to joining Columbia, Michael was a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Michael holds a PhD in economics from the London School of Economics and an M.Phil from the University of Oxford.