Dr Skarbek studies the political economy of institutions and institutional change, with a focus on collective action, norms, and ethnic conflict. His current project explains the operation of informal institutions within prisons globally. His work has appeared in both economics and political science journals, including the American Political Science Review and the Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization. He has also published two award-winning books, both with Oxford University Press, The Social Order of the Underworld and The Puzzle of Prison Order.