Michele Boldrin Italian-American economist Date of Birth: 20.08.1956 Country: USA

Biography of Michele Boldrin

Michele Boldrin, an Italian-American economist, is a renowned specialist in economic growth, technological process, and intellectual property. Currently, Boldrin is a distinguished professor of arts and sciences and the chair of the Economics Department at the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). He gained recognition as one of the 200 economists who publicly opposed the 2009 Stimulus bill. Boldrin defended his position on this matter through various media outlets and engaged in public debates with economist Brad DeLong.

Michele Boldrin was born on August 20, 1956, in Padova, Italy, where he spent his formative years. He later moved to Venice and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Venice. Under the supervision of Lionel McKenzie, he earned a Master of Science degree in 1985 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics in 1987 from the University of Rochester in New York.

Before relocating to St. Louis in the fall of 2006, Boldrin worked at the University of Chicago from 1986 to 1987, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1987 to 1994, and the Kellogg School of Management from 1990 to 1994. From 1994 to 1999, he held a position at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, followed by a tenure at the University of Minnesota from 1999 to 2006. Since 2006, Michele has been a research fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Boldrin is a member of the Econometric Society and previously served as an assistant editor for the academic journal "Econometrica." He is also a former editor and current assistant editor of "The Review of Economic Dynamics." He has authored or co-authored four books and has been a visiting professor in Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Tokyo, and many other places. Additionally, Michele was one of the founding editors of the Italian blog "noiseFromAmerika" and a regular contributor to the projects "Against Monopoly" and "Nada es Gratis."

Boldrin's current research focuses on the general theory of dynamic equilibrium, with particular emphasis on the sources of business cycle fluctuations, growth, development, technological innovation, and intellectual property. Collaborating with David K. Levine, Boldrin examines the competitive role compared to monopolistic markets in the process of growth and innovation. He argues that there is little evidence to support the presence of increasing returns at an aggregate level, suggesting that monopoly power is not necessary and likely detrimental to technical progress and economic development. These conclusions challenge the existing requirements imposed on intellectual property in the growth and development of scientific and technological progress. His book, "Against Intellectual Monopoly," co-authored with David K. Levine, was published in 2008, and another work, "Tremonti, istruzioni per il disuso," created with Italian authors, was released in 2010.