Robert Marshall Axelrod (born May 27, 1943) is an American political scientist.

He is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Michigan where he has been since 1974.

[4] Recently Axelrod has consulted and lectured on promoting cooperation and harnessing complexity for the United Nations, the World Bank, the U.S. Department of Defense, and various organizations serving health care professionals, business leaders, and K–12 educators.

Axelrod was the President of the American Political Science Association (APSA) for the 2006–2007 term.

In 2014, President Barack Obama presented Axelrod with a National Medal of Science.