Assaf Razin

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Assaf Razin
Born
Israel
NationalityIsraeli
Occupation(s)Economist, academic and author
Academic background
EducationB.A.
M.S., Agricultural Economics
M.A Economics
Ph.D., Economics
Alma materHebrew University of Jerusalem
University of Chicago
Academic work
InstitutionsTel Aviv University

Assaf Razin is an economist, academic, and author. He is a Schwartz Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University and The former Barbara and Steven Friedman Professor of International Economics, Cornell University.[1]

Razin is known for his works on international and public economics. His written works include contributions to academic journals like the American Economic Review, Journal of Monetary Economics and the Journal of Political Economy,[2] as well as authoring books such as Fiscal Policies and Growth in the World Economy, Population Economics, Israel and the World Economy: Power of Globalization and Globalization, Migration, and Welfare State: Macroeconomic Trifecta.[3] Moreover, he is the recipient of 2017 EMET Prize in economics.[4]

Razin is a fellow of various professional organizations including Fellow of the Econometric Society.[5]

Early life and education[edit]

Razin’s parents arrived in Israel in the late 1930s from Bassarabia (now Romania and Moldova) and founded Kibbutz Shamir where Razin's early life unfolded, shaped by its communal ethos and its remote location as a border settlement. A tragic incident during military service led to unexpected opportunities beyond the kibbutz's confines, paving the way for his unconventional transition from an agricultural place to higher education and eventual pursuit of graduate studies at the University of Chicago. Razin completed his undergraduate studies in agricultural economics from Hebrew University in 1963, followed by an M.A in Agricultural Economics in 1966. Later in 1968, he completed his M.A. in Economics from the University of Chicago, followed by a Ph.D. in Economics from the same institution in 1969.

Career[edit]

Razin holds extensive academic experience as a visiting professor at various elite Universities in the US, from his permanent base at Tel Aviv University, Israel. From 200 to 2015 he held the position of the Friedman Professor of International Economics at Cornell University. Throughout his academic career, he has held various visiting appointments at various institutions, including University of Chicago, Harvard, Stanford, University of Minnesota, London School of Economics, the University of Munich, Yale University, and Princeton University. Since 2008, he is a Schwartz Professor Emeritus at Tel-Aviv University.[1]

Razin served in the late 1970s as the chief economic adviser to the Israeli government. His academic administrative experience includes an appointment as the Chair of the Department of Economics at Tel Aviv University from 1974 to 1976. Subsequently, he held the position of dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tel Aviv University from 1981 to 1986, and Deputy Rector in the early 1990s. Throughout his career, Razin has held diverse advisory appointments at institutions such as the World Bank, and International Monetary Fund, Bank of England and the European Central Bank.

Books[edit]

In addition to 150 scientific articles in economic Journals, Razin has authored various books and monographs throughout his career. In 1978, he co-authored the book A Theory of International Trade Under Uncertainty with Elhanan Helpman. The book explored how the basic theories of international trade are extended and revised in the presence of uncertainty and risk-sharing financial institutions. In 1987, he co-authored a book with Jacob A. Frenkel, Fiscal Policies in the World Economy. The book provided an intertemporal -based analysis of fiscal policies and their effects on economic growth in the global context, integrating traditional and modern approaches in open economy macroeconomics and public economics, with a focus on topics such as government spending, budget deficits, international taxation, and economic convergence across countries.[6]

Razin’s books on the Israeli economy, The economy of Modern Israel: Malaise and Promise (1993),[7] and Israel and the World Economy: The Power of Globalization (2018),[8] explore the effects of immigration, building of economic institutions, technological advancement, and controlling inflation generated the “economic miracle” whereby Israel transformed from a low income agricultural economy into a fully advanced economy.”

In 1992 he co-authored with Jacob Frenkel and Efraim Sadka, International Economics, which provides analytical theory for the international ramifications of income and value-added taxation. In 1995, he co-authored with Efraim Sadka, the book Population Economics,[9] wherein they explored the evolution of economic theories (such as Malthusian and Becker theories, on population growth, focusing on microeconomic factors such as fertility decisions, labor supply, and intergenerational transfers, and their implications for economic policy and social issues.[10] In 2001, he authored the book Labor, Capital, and Finance: International Flows. The book integrated disparate elements of economics into a unified framework, focusing on capital, labor, and finance within globalization, catering to advanced undergraduate and graduate courses as well as serving as a reference text for applied researchers and policy professionals.[11] In his 2011 book, he examined the interplay between immigration policies, welfare states, and economic dynamics, considering factors such as skill and age composition of immigrants, fiscal burdens, and the implications for both host and source countries, particularly focusing on Europe and developed nations.[12] His 2014 book Understanding Global Crises offers a comprehensive analysis of various global financial crises, integrating common and disparate threads into an empirically testable analytical framework while exploring developments in the New Keynesian analytical framework post-2008.[13] Furthermore, his more recent book Globalization, Migration, and Welfare State: Macroeconomic Trifecta explores the intricate interplay between globalization, migration, and the welfare state.[3]

Research[edit]

Razin’s early research established a link between population theory and economic growth theory by analyzing an intergenerational model of optimum population growth, considering factors such as the quality of life for new populations, consumption levels, public support for investment in children, intergenerational differences in preferences, and uncertainty in population changes.[14] His 1983 collaborative research with LEO Svensson and others analyzed the impact of terms-of-trade changes on a small country's spending and current account under perfect international capital mobility and an intertemporal framework, considering both temporary and permanent fluctuations and the influence of individuals' time preferences on trade balance outcomes.[15] In his 1986 study, he employed a two-country general equilibrium model to analyze the effects of budget deficits and government spending on global interest rates, consumption, and international indebtedness, exploring the differences between fiscal expenditures and tax cuts, current versus expected future policies, and the welfare implications of budget deficits.[16]

Razin’s 1991 research examined global capital income taxation and tax competition, showing that coordinated policies reduce the need for tax harmonization, whereas insufficient coordination results in lower capital taxes and burdens on immobile factors, limiting effective tax tools.[17] Later in 1994, he proposed a method to compute effective tax rates using national accounts and revenue data, highlighting international differences in tax policy and demonstrating the consistency of these rates with general equilibrium economic frameworks.[18] His 2000 study investigated factors influencing large adjustments in current account deficits and exchange rates in low- and middle-income countries, distinguishing between triggers of currency crises and current account reversals, finding that domestic and external factors play key roles with different economic impacts.[19] In 2006, he developed a theoretical model explaining how information asymmetry influences the choice between foreign direct investments (FDI) and foreign portfolio investments (FPI), highlighting how investors' information advantages impact investment decisions, resale prices, and the observed patterns of investment flows across developed and developing countries.[20] While exploring how welfare state generosity affects migration rates, his 2015 study found that within free labor movement areas like the EU, welfare states attract skilled migrants, while in restricted migration contexts, they may draw unskilled migrants, potentially increasing fiscal burdens.[21] More recently in 2022, his work offered a nuanced analysis of how income-based globalization attitudes interact with national government policies, shedding light on the complex relationship between economic interests, trade dynamics, and welfare-state outcomes in the context of a globalized economy.[22]

Awards and honors[edit]

Family[edit]

Razin is married to Shula Razin (formerly Chachlili). Among his children are, Ofer Razin (deceased), Ronny Razin, and Einat Razin. Furthermore, he also has grandchildren, namely Iddo Razin and Neeve Razin.

Bibliography[edit]

Selected books[edit]

  • Labor, Capital, and Finance: International Flows (2001) ISBN 9780521785570
  • Understanding Global Crises: An Emerging Paradigm (2014) ISBN 9780262028592

Selected articles[edit]

  • Svensson, L. E., & Razin, A. (1983). The terms of trade and the current account: The Harberger-Laursen-Metzler effect. Journal of political Economy, 91(1), 97-125.
  • Frenkel, J. A., & Razin, A. (1986). Fiscal policies in the world economy. Journal of Political Economy, 94(3, Part 1), 564-594.
  • Razin, A., & Sadka, E. (1991). International tax competition and gains from tax harmonization. Economics Letters, 37(1), 69-76.
  • Mendoza, E. G., Razin, A., & Tesar, L. L. (1994). Effective tax rates in macroeconomics: Cross-country estimates of tax rates on factor incomes and consumption. Journal of Monetary Economics, 34(3), 297-323.
  • Loungani, P., & Razin, A. (2001). How beneficial is foreign direct investment for developing countries?. Finance and development, 38(2), 6-9.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "CESifo Network".
  2. ^ "Google Scholar".
  3. ^ a b "Globalization, Migration, and Welfare State: Macroeconomic Trifecta".
  4. ^ a b "AWARDS - NBER".
  5. ^ "Assaf Razin - IZA".
  6. ^ "Fiscal policies and growth in the world economy".
  7. ^ "Economy of modern Israel : malaise and promise".
  8. ^ "Israel and the world economy : the power of globalization".
  9. ^ "Population economics".
  10. ^ "Population Economics".
  11. ^ "Labor, capital, and finance : international flows".
  12. ^ "Migration and the welfare state : political-economy policy formation".
  13. ^ "Understanding Global Crises".
  14. ^ Razin, Assaf; Ben-Zion, Uri (December 1975). "An Intergenerational Model of Population Growth". The American Economic Review. 65 (5): 923–933 – via JSTOR.
  15. ^ Svensson, Lars E. O.; Razin, Assaf (December 1975). "The Terms of Trade and the Current Account: The Harberger-Laursen-Metzler Effect". Journal of Political Economy. 91 (1): 97–125. doi:10.1086/261130 – via The University of Chicago Press Journals.
  16. ^ A.Frenkel, Jacob; Razin, Assaf (June 1986). "Fiscal Policies in the World Economy". Journal of Political Economy. 94 (3): 564–594 – via JSTOR.
  17. ^ Razin, Assaf; Sadka, Efraim (September 1991). "International tax competition and gains from tax harmonization". Journal of Political Economy. 37 (1): 69–76 – via ScienceDirect.
  18. ^ G. Mendoza, Enrique; Razin, Assaf (December 1994). "Effective tax rates in macroeconomics: Cross-country estimates of tax rates on factor incomes and consumption". Journal of Monetary Economics. 34 (3): 297–323 – via ScienceDirect.
  19. ^ M. Milesi-Ferretti, Gian; Razin, Assaf (June 1998). "Current Account Reversals and Currency Crises: Empirical Regularities". IMF Working Papers – via International Money Fund.
  20. ^ Goldstein, Itay; Razin, Assaf (November 2005). "An Information-Based Trade Off between Foreign Direct Investment and Foreign Portfolio Investment". National Bureau of Economic Research. doi:10.3386/w11757 – via NBER.
  21. ^ Razin, Assaf; Wahba, Jackline (April 2015). "Welfare Magnet Hypothesis, Fiscal Burden, and Immigration Skill Selectivity". The Scandinavian Journal of Economics. 117 (2): 369–402 – via JSTOR.
  22. ^ Razin, Assaf (2022). "Understanding national-government policies regarding globalization: A trade-finance analysis". Journal of Government and Economics. 8 – via ScienceDirect.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Assaf_Razin&oldid=1222212272"