Senior Research Economist and Advisor
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

Positions Held

• Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 1996–present.
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Study of Public Choice, George Mason University, 1995–96.

Education

• PhD, California Institute of Technology, June 1996.
• MA, California Institute of Technology, June 1993.
• BA, Rice University, Magna Cum Laude, May 1991.

Research and Teaching Interests

• Public Finance, Public Choice, Labor Economics

Honors and Awards

• Senior Fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis, 2005–
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for Study of Public Choice, George Mason University, 1995–96
• Pass with Distinction, Qualifying Exam on Political Economy, Caltech, 1992
• Jacob K. Javits Fellowship for the Humanities and Social Sciences, 1991–95
• Phi Beta Kappa, 1991
• U.S. Senate Internship, 1990
• National Merit Scholarship, 1987–91

Refereed Journal Publications

• “The Political Economy of the Mutual Fund Revolution,” with John V. Duca. Economic Inquiry 46: 454–79, July 2008.
• “Consumer Sovereignty in a Modern Global Era,” Journal of Private Enterprise 22: 107–20, Fall 2006.
• “A Single Welfare Benefit Level for Europe?” Southern Economic Journal 70: 184–94, July 2003.
• “Autocracy, Bureaucracy, Democracy, Monopoly: Dimensions of Government Power,” with Stephen P.A. Brown. Economic Inquiry 40: 239–49, July 2002.
• “Migration, Labor-Leisure Choice, and Pareto Suboptimal Redistribution,” Regional Science and Urban Economics 29: 559–74, September 1999.
• “International Capital Markets and Central Bank Sovereignty,” with Thomas R. Saving, Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics 154: 261–79, March 1998.
• “Deficits, Democrats, and Distributive Benefits: Congressional Elections and the Pork Barrel in the 1980s,” with R. Michael Alvarez. Political Research Quarterly 50: 809–32, December 1997.
• “Human Capital, Committee Power and Legislative Outcomes,” Public Choice 92: 301–16, September 1997.
• “Congressional Committees and the Political Economy of Federal Outlays,” with R. Michael Alvarez. Public Choice 92: 55–73, July 1997.

Current Research

• “Why Do Wealthy States Provide Generous Social Insurance Programs?” submitted, Southern Economic Journal.
• “To Thine Own Self Be True? Gauging the Impact of Convictions on Voting Behavior,” submitted, Journal of Law and Economics.
• “Do Fiscal Imbalances Still Matter?” submitted, National Tax Journal.
• “What Does Government Spending Crowd Out?”
• “The Myth of the Irrational Voter.”
• “Unfunded Liabilities and Economic Growth.”

Book/Monograph Chapters, Magazine Articles, and Fed Publications

• “Consumer Sovereignty in Modern Times,” in Introducing Microeconomic Analysis: Issues, Questions and Competing Views, Hassan Bougrine, Ian Parker, and Mario Seccareccia, eds., Toronto: Emond Montgomery, forthcoming.
• “Stimulating Our Way to Prosperity? The Economics of Fiscal Policy,” Federal Reserve Bank of DallasEconomic Letter, forthcoming.
• “What Drives Regional Growth, and What are the Implications for Texas?” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, First Quarter 2009.
• “Will New Business Tax Dull Texas’ Competitive Edge?” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, March/April 2008.
•  “Inequality and Economic Growth: Challenges to the Old Orthodoxy,” with Erwan Quintin, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Economic Letter, Issue 1, 2008.
• “Fiscal Fitness: The U.S. Budget Deficit’s Uncertain Prospects,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Economic Letter, April 2007.
• “Globalization and Economic Growth,” The Globalist, July 2006.
• “Integration Versus Globalization: The European Bellwether,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Economic Letter, May 2006.
• “Why Did Texas Have a Jobless Recovery?” with Pia M. Orrenius. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas The Face of Texas, October 2005.
• “European Economic Integration: A Conflict of Visions,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, July/August 2005.
• “Social Security and Medicare Reform: No Free Lunch,” with Alan D. Viard, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, January/February 2005.
• “Economic Recovery Gains Steam in Texas,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, January/February 2004.
• “Social Security Restructuring: Tough Decisions Ahead,” with Alan D. Viard, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, September/October 2003.
• “Welfare Reform Revisited,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, September/October 2002.
• “Improving Public School Financing in Texas,” with Fiona Sigalla and Lori Taylor, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, November/December 2001.
• “Census Data Show the Economy Matters,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, July/August 2001.
• “Some Pleasant Economic Side Effects: How Growth Improves America’s Living Standards,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, July/August 2000.
• “Welfare Reform, Technological Change, and Unemployment: From Where Will All the Workers Come?” Economic and Financial Review, Second Quarter 2000.
• “Privatization and the Transition to a Market Economy,” Economic Review, Fourth Quarter 1998.
• “Is the Unemployment Rate Too Low?” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, November/December 1998.
• “Tough Love: Implications for Redistributive Policy,” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Economic Review, Third Quarter 1997.
• “A Five-Year Plan for Economic Policy,” with Thomas R. Saving. Jobs and Capital: The Journal of the Milken Institute, Summer 1997.
• “An End to Welfare As We Know It?” Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Southwest Economy, January/February 1997.