William Russell Easterly American economist Country: USA

1. American Economist, Specialist in Economic Growth and Foreign Aid
2. Early Life and Education
3. Career
4. Publications

American Economist, Specialist in Economic Growth and Foreign Aid

William Russell Easterly is an American economist known for his expertise in the areas of economic growth and foreign aid. He currently holds the position of Professor of Economics at New York University and serves as the director of the Development Research Institute at the same university. In addition to his academic work, Easterly also maintains his own blog called 'Aid Watch'.

Early Life and Education

Easterly was born in West Virginia and raised in Bowling Green, Ohio. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University and went on to pursue his doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Career

Easterly spent 16 years working as a research economist at the World Bank, while also serving as an adjunct professor at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. During his tenure at the World Bank from 1985 to 2001, Easterly held positions as both a research economist and a senior consultant in the areas of macroeconomics and development theory.

After leaving the World Bank, Easterly joined the Institute for International Economics and the Center for Global Development. In 2003, he moved to New York University, where he began his career as a professor. However, Easterly's work extended beyond academia, as he also engaged in practical economics by working in developing and transition economies. He has traveled extensively to countries in Africa, Latin America, and Russia.

Publications

Easterly is a prolific author, having written several books and numerous articles in major economic publications. His works have been widely discussed in prominent media outlets such as National Public Radio, BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Economist, The New Yorker, Forbes, Business Week, Financial Times, and Christian Science Monitor.

Two of Easterly's notable books are 'The Elusive Quest for Growth: Economists' Adventures and Misadventures in the Tropics' (2001) and 'The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good' (2006). In these works, Easterly examines the reasons why developing countries have struggled to achieve meaningful economic growth despite foreign aid, challenging the effectiveness of various approaches that have been considered economic panaceas since World War II.

Easterly's research has often expressed skepticism towards certain measures aimed at helping other countries. He critically analyzes the factors that hinder economic progress in developing nations and questions the impact of well-known philanthropists like Bob Geldoff and Bono, as well as fellow economist Jeffrey Sachs. In response, Sachs accused Easterly of excessive pessimism and downplaying previous achievements.