Tyler Cowen

Tyler Cowen is an American economist, author, and public intellectual known for his prolific writing on a diverse range of topics including economic growth, technological stagnation, and cultural globalization. A professor at George Mason University, he holds the Holbert L. Harris Chair in the Department of Economics and serves as a faculty director at the Mercatus Center, a libertarian-leaning research institute. Through his widely-read blog Marginal Revolution, co-founded with Alex Tabarrok, and his numerous books, Cowen has become a prominent voice in contemporary economic and social discourse, often challenging conventional wisdom.

Early life and education

Born in Bergen County, New Jersey, Cowen demonstrated an early interest in economics and ideas. He pursued his undergraduate education at Harvard University, where he studied under notable economists and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then earned his PhD in economics from George Mason University, a institution renowned for its strength in Austrian School and public choice theory. His doctoral dissertation, advised by Jack High, focused on the theory of the firm, laying groundwork for his later interdisciplinary approach.

Academic career

Cowen has spent his entire academic career at George Mason University, where he is a professor of economics. He has also held visiting appointments or fellowships at institutions including Harvard University, the University of California, Irvine, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. At George Mason, he has been instrumental in building the reputation of both the economics department and the Mercatus Center, mentoring numerous students and scholars. His academic work spans welfare economics, the economics of culture, and the study of economic growth.

Public intellectual work

Cowen's reach extends far beyond academia through his role as a public intellectual. He co-authors the influential economics blog Marginal Revolution with Alex Tabarrok, which has received recognition from sources like The Economist and The New York Times. He writes a regular column for Bloomberg View and has contributed to publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Cowen also hosts the podcast Conversations with Tyler, where he interviews thinkers from diverse fields, including Peter Thiel, Larry Summers, and Daniel Kahneman.

Major ideas and contributions

Cowen is known for several influential theses concerning modern economic life. In his e-book The Great Stagnation, he argued that the United States has exhausted the "low-hanging fruit" of easy growth from technological innovation and education, leading to a productivity slowdown. This theme continued in Average is Over, where he forecast a society increasingly polarized by skill and driven by human-computer symbiosis. In The Complacent Class, he posited that American dynamism has declined due to risk aversion and excessive matching. His other notable works include Creative Destruction, which examines globalization's impact on culture, and Stubborn Attachments, which outlines a moral framework for prioritizing economic growth. His thinking often integrates insights from behavioral economics, political economy, and philosophy.

Personal life and other activities

Residing in Fairfax, Virginia, Cowen is known for his eclectic personal interests, which he frequently discusses as part of his intellectual persona. He is a dedicated enthusiast of ethnic cuisine, exploring restaurants globally and authoring guides like An Economist Gets Lunch. An avid consumer of culture, he writes extensively on art, music, literature, and cinema, often reviewing works on his blog. He serves on the board of the Emergent Ventures fellowship program, which he founded to support ambitious, unconventional ideas. Cowen has also been involved with the American Institute for Economic Research and received the Mercatus Center's General Fund Fellowship for his scholarly contributions.

Category:American economists Category:George Mason University faculty Category:1962 births Category:Living people