Research

He is an economist with extensive experience in development issues with a new institutional economics approach. His research focuses on institutional analysis and the impact on private economic activities. Worked on designing, funding and directing research projects. Having obtained funds from international organizations and private foundations.

Current work and interests:

Economic Education

Review of the content of Principle of Economics textbooks

Rationality assumption in the study of human behavior

Entrepreneurship and development.

The role of entrepreneurship in fighting against poverty, even in areas in which the public sector is supposed to play a fundamental role.

How the development of the private sector has contributed far more to fight poverty than years of public social expenditure and foreign aid, how businesses step up and offer goods and services fit to the needs of the poor helping raise their welfare, even in cases in which government is supposed to play a central role but does it poorly (like education).

For these achievements to take place, it is important to understand how a significant number of businesses is able to overcome an inefficient institutional framework, in many cases, make the transition from the informal to the formal sector and even become large international businesses. Case studies seem a promising approach.

State and development

What are the key elements that make a government act favoring the growth of an economy? Is there anything that can be done in Less-developed Countries whose governments perform poorly? The recent focus has been on the role of political parties and democracy.

Member of the Board of Scholars, Mackinac Center for Public Policy

Other topics:

The impact of institutional deficiencies on business in general and on small business; Political economy of local governments; Political economy of institutional reforms; Competitiveness; Judicial reform; Costs of crime and violence; Victimization analysis; Violence, poverty, and gender.