Matt Burgess

About

I study economic growth and political polarization, and their implications for the environment and society, including the political polarization of science and higher education. I use mathematical models that combine insights from economics and ecology, and I combine these with statistical analyses, computer simulations, and survey experiments. I engage in popular writing, public outreach, public speaking, and podcasting related to these topics.

 

Selected Publications

Curtin, F., & Burgess, M. G. (2026). The empirically inscrutable climate-economy relationship. SocArXiv, g8khf.

Burgess, M.G., Brown, P.T., Kahn, M., & Pielke, R. (2026). The economics of climate adaptation optimism. SocArXiv, m7tqu.

Landgren, E., Langendorf, R. E., & Burgess, M. G. (2026). Optimal ambition in business, politics, and life. Physical Review E, 113(5), 054317.

Burgess, M. G. (2026). Toward institutional neutrality in climate change science. Dialogues on Climate Change, 29768659261461787.

Burgess, M. G. (2025). US Academics have freer speech than we think. Journal of Controversial Ideas, 5(2), 10.

Burgess, M. G., Van Boven, L., Wagner, G., Wong-Parodi, G., et al. (2024). Supply, demand and polarization challenges facing US climate policies. Nature Climate Change, 14(2), 134-142.

Burgess, M. G. (2024). Five considerations for twenty-first century climate policy. FIU Law Review, 18(2), 283.

Burgess, M. G., Langendorf, R. E., Moyer, J. D., Dancer, A., Hughes, B. B., & Tilman, D. (2023). Multidecadal dynamics project slow 21st-century economic growth and income convergence. Communications Earth & Environment, 4(1), 220.

Hegwood, M., Langendorf, R. E., & Burgess, M. G. (2022). Why win–wins are rare in complex environmental management. Nature Sustainability, 5(8), 674-680.

Pielke Jr, R., Burgess, M. G., & Ritchie, J. (2022). Plausible 2005-2050 emissions scenarios project between 2 and 3 degrees C of warming by 2100. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 024027.

Burgess, M. G., Carrico, A. R., Gaines, S. D., Peri, A., & Vanderheiden, S. (2021). Prepare developed democracies for long-run economic slowdowns. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(12), 1608-1621.

Burgess, M. G., Ritchie, J., Shapland, J., & Pielke, R. (2021). IPCC baseline scenarios have over-projected CO2 emissions and economic growth. Environmental Research Letters, 16, 014016.

Rao, A., Burgess, M. G., & Kaffine, D. (2020). Orbital-use fees could more than quadruple the value of the space industry. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(23), 12756-12762.

Burgess, M. G., McDermott, G. R., Owashi, B., Peavey Reeves, L. E., Clavelle, T., Ovando, D., et al. (2018). Protecting marine mammals, turtles, and birds by rebuilding global fisheries. Science, 359(6381), 1255-1258.

Burgess, M. G., Costello, C., Fredston-Hermann, A., Pinsky, M. L., Gaines, S. D., Tilman, D., & Polasky, S. (2017). Range contraction enables harvesting to extinction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(15), 3945-3950.

 

Education