Senior Researcher

Dakota Peterson is a former Fulbright Research Scholar and economist and public policy analyst, specializing in economic research and policy evaluation. He most recently served as an economist with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), producing and interpreting official estimates of consumer spending, income, regional price parities, and inequality. Prior to BEA, Dakota was a senior legislative policy analyst with the Colorado Office of the State Auditor, where he led 15 nonpartisan evaluations of state tax expenditures. Earlier, he conducted Fulbright-sponsored research in Bosnia and Herzegovina on post-conflict reconciliation programs and civil society development, partnering with local NGOs and international organizations. Dakota holds a master’s degree in economics from American University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Drexel University.