Klaus Desmet

how to pronounce my last name
Altshuler Centennial Interdisciplinary Professor

Department of Economics & Cox School of Business
Southern Methodist University 

 

Research Associate, NBER

Research Affiliate, CEPR

Research Associate, UC3M

 

My home town now and then

My home island

 

SMU Dept of Economics

3300 Dyer, Suite 301

Dallas, TX 75205

kdesmet at smu dot edu

 

  

Curriculum Vitae

 

 

Papers academic papers

 

 

             1.   “Climate Change Economics over Time and Space,” Annual Review of Economics, forthcoming (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg).Coverage by Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.

 

             2.   “Expanding the Measurement of Culture with a Sample of Two Billion Humans,” Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2022, 19, 20220085 (with Edmond Awad, Manuel Cebrián, Ángel Cuevas, Rubén Cuevas, Ignacio Martín, Nick Obradovich, Ignacio Ortuńo-Ortín, Ömer Özak and Iyad Rahwan). Online Appendix. Related Vox column.

 

             3.   “Understanding Spatial Variation in COVID-19 across U.S. Counties,” Journal of Urban Economics: Insights, 2022, 127, 103332 (with Romain Wacziarg). Online Appendix. Replication files. Coverage in National Post. Related LSE US Centre blog post.

 

             4.   “The Cultural Divide,” Economic Journal, 2021, 131, 2058-2088 (with Romain Wacziarg). Online Appendix. Coverage in The Economist and UCLA Anderson Review. Related Pro-Market blog article.

 

             5.   “Local Sectoral Specialization in a Warming World,” Journal of Economic Geography, 2021, 21, 493-530 (with Bruno Conte, Dávid Krisztián Nagy and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Related VoxEU column. Further coverage in Vox. CEPR e-book on combatting climate change.

 

             6.   “Urban Growth Shadows,” Journal of Urban Economics, 2021, 123, 103334 (with David Cuberes and Jordan Rappaport). Online Appendix.

 

             7.   “Evaluating the Economic Cost of Coastal Flooding,” American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 2021, 13, 444-486 (with Robert Kopp, Scott Kulp, Dávid Krisztián Nagy, Michael Oppenheimer, Esteban Rossi-Hansberg and Ben Strauss). Replication files. Related Vox column, policy brief and video. Coverage on NPR and AEA Research Highlights Podcast. Also covered in 2016-2022 Program Report of NBER International Trade and Investment in NBER Reporter.

 

             8.   “The Shrinking Advantage of Market Potential,” Journal of Development Economics, 2020, 147, 102529 (with Marius Brülhart and Gian-Paolo Klinke).

 

             9.   “Spatial Competition, Innovation and Institutions: The Industrial Revolution and the Great Divergence,” Journal of Economic Growth, 2020, 25, 1-35 (with Avner Greif and Stephen Parente).

 

           10.   “The Geography of Diversity and the Provision of  Public Goods,” Journal of Development Economics, 2020, 143, 102384 (with Joseph Gomes and Ignacio Ortuńo). Online Appendix. Related Vox column. Coverage in Quartz and La Vanguardia.

 

           11.   “The Geography of Development,” Journal of Political Economy, 2018, 126, 903-983, lead article, winner of Lucas Prize (with Dávid Krisztián Nagy and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Video Simulations. Replication Files. Related Vox column. Coverage in The Economist, La Nación, Le nouvel Economiste and Project Syndicate.

 

           12.   “Peripheral Diversity: Transfers versus Public Goods,” Social Choice and Welfare, 2017, 49, 787-823 (with Ignacio Ortuńo and Shlomo Weber).

 

           13.   “Culture, Ethnicity and Diversity,” American Economic Review, 2017, 107, 2479-2513, lead article (with Ignacio Ortuńo and Romain Wacziarg). Online Appendix. Replication Files. Related Vox column. Interview in Trends.

 

           14.   “The Settlement of the United States, 1800-2000: The Long Transition to Gibrat’s Law,” Journal of Urban Economics, 2017, 98, 50-68 (with Jordan Rappaport). Online Appendix.

 

           15.   “Asia’s Geographic Development,” Asian Development Review, 2017, 34, 1-24 (with Dávid Krisztián Nagy and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg).

 

           16.   “On the Spatial Economic Impact of Global Warming,” Journal of Urban Economics, 2015, 88,16-37 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Coverage in The Economist. Related Vox column.

 

           17.   “The Spatial Development of India,” Journal of Regional Science, 2015, 55, 10-30 (with Ejaz Ghani, Steve O’Connell and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Related Vox column (reproduced in Ideas for India). Economic Premise note. Coverage in Financial Express.

 

           18.   “Resistance to Technology Adoption: The Rise and Decline of Guilds,” Review of Economic Dynamics, 2014, 17, 437-458 (with Stephen Parente). Related Vox column.

 

           19.   “Spatial Development,” American Economic Review, 2014, 104, 1211-43 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Replication Files.

 

           20.   “Urban Accounting and Welfare,” American Economic Review, 2013, 103, 2296-2327 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Related Vox column (in Japanese). Replication Files.

 

           21.   “The Evolution of Markets and the Revolution of Industry: A Unified Theory of Growth,” Journal of Economic Growth, 2012, 17, 205-234 (with Stephen Parente).

 

           22.   “Hub-and-Spoke Free Trade Areas,” Canadian Journal of Economics, 2012, 45, 942-977 (with Giovanni Facchini and George Deltas).

 

           23.   “Innovation in Space,” American Economic Review P&P, 2012, 102, 447-52 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg).

 

           24.   “The Political Economy of Linguistic Cleavages,” Journal of Development Economics, 2012, 97, 322-338 (with Ignacio Ortuńo and Romain Wacziarg). ELF and Polarization Data (different levels of aggregation).

 

           25.   “The Stability and Breakup of Nations: A Quantitative Analysis,” Journal of Economic Growth, 2011, 16, 183-213 (with Michel Le Breton, Ignacio Ortuńo and Shlomo Weber). Coverage in BBC, Radio Nacional de Espańa, El Mundo.

 

           26.   “Bigger is Better: Market Size, Demand Elasticity and Innovation,” International Economic Review, 2010, 51, 319-333 (with Stephen Parente).

 

           27.   “On Spatial Dynamics,” Journal of Regional Science, 2010, 50, 43-63 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg).

 

           28.   “Spatial Growth and Industry Age,” Journal of Economic Theory, 2009, 144, 2477-2502 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Related Vox column.

 

           29.   “Linguistic Diversity and Redistribution,” Journal of the European Economic Association, 2009, 7, 1291-1318 (with Ignacio Ortuńo and Shlomo Weber). Linguistic heterogeneity data (accounting for distances)

 

           30.   “Foreign Direct Investment and Spillovers: Gradualism May Be Better,” Canadian Journal of Economics, 2008, 41, 926-953 (with Felipe Meza and Juan Rojas).

 

           31.   “Rational Underdevelopment,” Scandinavian Journal of Economics, 2007, 109, 1-24 (with Ignacio Ortuńo).

 

           32.   “Inflation in Open Economies with Complete Markets,” Economic Theory, 2007, 31, 271-291 (with Marco Celentani and J. Ignacio Conde).

 

           33.   “Employment Concentration across U.S. Counties,” Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2006, 36, 482-509 (with Marcel Fafchamps).

 

           34.   “Changes in the Spatial Concentration of Employment across U.S. Counties: A Sectoral Analysis 1972-2000?,” Journal of Economic Geography, 2005, 5(3), 261-284 (with Marcel Fafchamps).

 

           35.   “Implementing R&D Policies: An Analysis of Spain's Pharmaceutical Research Program,” Research Policy, 2004, 33, 1493-1507 (with Praveen Kujal and Félix Lobo).

 

           36.   “Endogenous Policy Leads to Incomplete Risk Sharing,” Review of Economic Dynamics, 7, 2004, 758-787 (with Marco Celentani and J. Ignacio Conde).

 

           37.   “A Simple Model of Uneven Development and Overtaking,” Economic Journal, 2002, 112, 894-918.

 

           38.   “Accounting for the Mexican Banking Crisis,” Emerging Markets Review, 2000, 1, 165-181.

 

           39.   “A Perfect Foresight Model of Regional Development and Skill Specialization,” Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2000, 30, 221-242.

 

 

Completed working papers

 

 

           40.   “The Gender Gap in Preferences:  Evidence from 45,397 Facebook Interests,” NBER Working Paper #29451, CEPR Discussion Paper #16740, October 2021 (with Ángel Cuevas, Rubén Cuevas and Ignacio Ortuńo-Ortín). Related Vox column and VoxTalk podcast. Coverage in Atlantico and El País.

 

           41.   “Is Secessionism Mostly About Income or Identity? A Global Analysis of 3,003 Subnational Regions,” NBER Working Paper #30428, CEPR Discussion Paper #17894, September 2022 (with Ignacio Ortuńo and Ömer Özak). Coverage in phys.org and National Geographic Indonesia.

 

           42.   “On the Geographic Implications of Carbon Taxes,” NBER Working Paper #30678, CEPR Discussion Paper #17714, November 2022 (with Bruno Conte and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg). Related Vox column and Becker-Friedman Institute summary. Op-Ed in Inside Sources and Las Vegas Sun. Also covered in 2016-2022 Program Report of NBER International Trade and Investment in NBER Reporter.

 

           43.   “Ethnic Remoteness Reduces the Peace Dividend from Trade Access,” NBER Working Paper #30862, CEPR Discussion Paper #17895, January 2023 (with Joseph Gomes and Diego Malo Rico).

 

           44.   “Endogenous Partitions,” May 2023 (with Ignacio Ortuńo-Ortín and Romain Wacziarg).

 

           45.   “Does Anger Drive Populism?,” NBER Working Paper #31383, CEPR Discussion Paper #18266, January 2023 (with Omer Ali and Romain Wacziarg). Covered in Washington Post, New York Times (1), New York Times (2), Marginal Revolution, UCLA Anderson Review, and Power at Work blog. Related VoxTalk podcast.

 

 

 

Book chapters and short articles

 

 

           46.   “The Economic Impact of Climate Change over Time and Space,” NBER Reporter, December 2021.

 

           47.   “Trade to Adapt: Changing Specialization to Cope with Climate Change,” in: Weder di Mauro, B. (Ed.), Combatting Climate Change: A CEPR Collection, E-book, 2021 (with Bruno Conte, Dávid Krisztián Nagy and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg).

 

           48.   “The Geography of Development within Countries,” in: Duranton, G., Henderson, J.V. and Strange, W. (Eds.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics vol. 5., Elsevier: Amsterdam, 2015 (with Vernon Henderson).

 

           49.   “Linguistic Cleavages and Economic Development,” in: Ginsburgh, V. and Weber, S. (Eds.), Palgrave Handbook of Economics and Language, Palgrave McMillan, 2016 (with Ignacio Ortuńo and Romain Wacziarg).

 

           50.   “Analyzing Urban Systems: Have Mega-Cities Become Too Large?,” in: Glaeser, E. and Joshi-Ghani, A. (Eds.), The Urban Imperative: Towards Competitive Cities, Oxford University Press, 2015 (with Esteban Rossi-Hansberg).

 

 

 

Other published work 

 

 

           51.   Discussion of “The Bank Lending Channel: Evidence from Emerging Economies,” Moneda y Crédito, 2003, 216, 201-203.

 

           52.   “Breaking Down the Barriers to Firm Growth in Europe,” Bruegel Blueprint 18, 2012 (with Loris Rubini, Facundo Piguillem and Aránzazu Crespo).

 

           53.   Book review of “A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy” by Joel Mokyr, Journal of Economic History, 2018, 78, 1261-1263.