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About Me

Alex Tabarrok is Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and director of research for The Independent Institute. Tabarrok is co-author with Tyler Cowen of the popular economics blog MarginalRevolution. His recent research looks at the effectiveness of bounty hunters compared to the police, how judicial elections bias judges and how local poverty rates impact trial decisions by juries. Other research examines patent system reform, methods to increase the supply of human organs for transplant and the regulation of pharmaceuticals. He is the author of the forthcoming textbook with Tyler Cowen, The New Principles: Microeconomics and Macroeconomics and also the editor of the books Entrepreneurial Economics: Bright Ideas from the Dismal Science, The Voluntary City: Choice, Community, and Civil Society and Changing the Guard: Private Prisons and the Control of Crime. His papers have appeared in the Journal of Law and Economics, Public Choice, Economic Inquiry, Journal of Health Economics, Journal of Theoretical Politics, The American Law and Economics Review, Kyklos and many other journals. Popular articles by Professor Tabarrok have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other magazines and newspapers.

Location:
United States, Fairfax, VA
Current organization:
George Mason University
Gender:
Male
I am:
Atheist, Blogger, Educator/Teacher, Foodie, Global soul, Parent, World traveler
My website links:
Marginal Revolution
TED conferences attended:
TED2009
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Good food, travel, and conveying the insights of economics to a wider audience.

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We benefit when other countries get rich.

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  • TEDCred score: +60.90 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

  • A comment on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Thanks everyone - it has been fun. More in my TED book Launching the Innovation Renaissance!

  • A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Mostly - the evidence is quite strong that the US labor market can absorb lots of immigrants without displacing jobs and without lowering wages by much if at all. In a recession the argument is better for potential problems but in a recession we also want to increase demand, e.g. demand for housing, so recessions cut both ways.
  • +1

    A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: In Launching I call this a no-brainer! What sense does it make to educate foreign students in our best universities and then tell them to "go home!"

    We used to be able to throw opportunities like this away and not notice but today we must compete to obtain the best people!

  • A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: One of the unfortunate by-products of 9/11 was how we made it more difficult for students to study in the United States.

  • A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Right, doctors, lawyers and other licensed professionals often make it difficult to compete with them!
  • +1

    A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Yes, here is a relevant poster.

    http://www.cafepress.com/+to_me_youre_all_illegal_immigrants_small_poster,573539075

  • A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Overall, that isn't true because we have a lot of low-skill immigration from Latin America but it is true that some immigrants do very well in the United States - I am thinking of immigrants from India and South Korea, for example, places where they put a lot of effort on hard work and education.

  • A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Yes, we are actually pretty good compared to the rest of the world on starting a small business but I agree that it is getting worse and we could do without so many licensing and entry restrictions on entering jobs.

  • A reply on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Does India's example help or hurt Pakistan? Do you see any positive signs in Pakistan towards more openness and innovation?
  • +1

    A comment on Conversation: Can immigration increase innovation? If so, how?

    Jan 30 2012: Pedram notes "It is therefore important for societies who want to adopt or continue merit-based immigration scheme to ensure that there are inherent social and cultural mechanism for ideas that enter from the margins (where newcomers usually find themselves)."

    to which I responded:

    Having lots of immigration with a hierarchical and closed school system and workforce is a recipe for disaster. I see France as having some of these problems - they have immigration but the immigrants have difficulty integrating and joining the elite/elitist society.

    One advantage of the US is actually that we "revere" money so much - rather than family background!

    Any other ideas on how we can remain open to ideas and upward mobility?
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