David K. Levine
Encyclopedia
David Knudsen Levine is the John H. Biggs Distinguished Professor of Economics
at Washington University in St. Louis
. His research includes the study of intellectual property
and endogenous growth in dynamic general equilibrium models, the endogenous formation of preferences, social norms
and institutions, learning in games, and game theory
applications to experimental economics
.
in Mathematics
in 1977, and an M.A.
in Economics in the same year. He was awarded a Ph.D.
in Economics at MIT in June 1981. He became an Assistant Professor of Economics at UCLA in July 1981, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota
in 1987, and a Professor of Economics at UCLA in the same year. In 1997 he became the Armen Alchian
Professor of Economics at UCLA. In 2006 he moved to Washington University in St. Louis, where he became the John H. Biggs Distinguished Professor of Economics.
Levine was the Coeditor of the Review of Economic Dynamics
from November 1996 to June 2001, and of Econometrica
from July 2003 to June 2008. He presided the Society for Economic Dynamics from July 2006 to June 2009.
Levine is a Fellow of the Econometric Society
since 1989 and a Research Associate at NBER since 2006.
, Levine examines the role of increasing returns in growth and innovation. They posit that little evidence exists for increasing returns at the aggregate level, and thus argue that there is no reason to believe that increasing returns play an important role in growth. This theory concludes that existing claims for the necessity of intellectual property in the process of growth and innovation are greatly exaggerated.
Levine also conducts research in the field of dynamic games. He established with Drew Fudenberg
that a long-lived player playing in opposition to short-lived players can substitute reputation for commitment. He developed with Eric Maskin
the first "folk theorem" for games, where players do not directly observe each other's decisions, with applications for learning in games. They argued that while learning theories cannot provide detailed descriptions of non-equilibrium behavior, they act as a useful tool in understanding which equilibria are likely to emerge. One example of this, they put forward, explains how superstitions survive in the face of rational learning.
Levine currently studies the endogenous formation of preferences and social norms. His analysis of experimental anomalies explores some of the limitations of the standard economic model of self-interested individuals.
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
. His research includes the study of intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
and endogenous growth in dynamic general equilibrium models, the endogenous formation of preferences, social norms
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
and institutions, learning in games, and game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
applications to experimental economics
Experimental economics
Experimental economics is the application of experimental methods to study economic questions. Data collected in experiments are used to estimate effect size, test the validity of economic theories, and illuminate market mechanisms. Economic experiments usually use cash to motivate subjects, in...
.
Biography
At UCLA, Levine obtained a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
in 1977, and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Economics in the same year. He was awarded a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Economics at MIT in June 1981. He became an Assistant Professor of Economics at UCLA in July 1981, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1987, and a Professor of Economics at UCLA in the same year. In 1997 he became the Armen Alchian
Armen Alchian
Armen Albert Alchian is an American economist and an emeritus professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles....
Professor of Economics at UCLA. In 2006 he moved to Washington University in St. Louis, where he became the John H. Biggs Distinguished Professor of Economics.
Levine was the Coeditor of the Review of Economic Dynamics
Review of Economic Dynamics
The Review of Economic Dynamics is the journal of the Society for Economic Dynamics , an academic organization devoted to dynamic equilibrium economic modeling....
from November 1996 to June 2001, and of Econometrica
Econometrica
Econometrica is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics, publishing articles not only in econometrics but in many areas of economics. It is published by the Econometric Society and distributed by Wiley-Blackwell. Econometrica is one of the most highly ranked economics journals in the world...
from July 2003 to June 2008. He presided the Society for Economic Dynamics from July 2006 to June 2009.
Levine is a Fellow of the Econometric Society
Econometric Society
The Econometric Society is an international society for the advancement of economic theory in its relation with statistics and mathematics. It was founded on December 29, 1930 at the Stalton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio....
since 1989 and a Research Associate at NBER since 2006.
Research
David K. Levine conducts ongoing research in general equilibrium theory, focusing specifically on growth theory, innovation, and intellectual property. Collaborating with Michele BoldrinMichele Boldrin
Michele Boldrin is an Italian American economist, expert in economic growth, business cycles, technological progress and intellectual property. He is currently the Joseph Gibson Hoyt Distinguished University Professor in Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Economics at Washington...
, Levine examines the role of increasing returns in growth and innovation. They posit that little evidence exists for increasing returns at the aggregate level, and thus argue that there is no reason to believe that increasing returns play an important role in growth. This theory concludes that existing claims for the necessity of intellectual property in the process of growth and innovation are greatly exaggerated.
Levine also conducts research in the field of dynamic games. He established with Drew Fudenberg
Drew Fudenberg
Drew Fudenberg is the Frederick E. Abbe Professor of Economics at Harvard University. His extensive research spans many aspects of game theory, including equilibrium theory, learning in games, evolutionary game theory, and many applications of game theory to other fields...
that a long-lived player playing in opposition to short-lived players can substitute reputation for commitment. He developed with Eric Maskin
Eric Maskin
Eric Stark Maskin is an American economist and Nobel laureate recognized with Leonid Hurwicz and Roger Myerson "for having laid the foundations of mechanism design theory." He is the Albert O...
the first "folk theorem" for games, where players do not directly observe each other's decisions, with applications for learning in games. They argued that while learning theories cannot provide detailed descriptions of non-equilibrium behavior, they act as a useful tool in understanding which equilibria are likely to emerge. One example of this, they put forward, explains how superstitions survive in the face of rational learning.
Levine currently studies the endogenous formation of preferences and social norms. His analysis of experimental anomalies explores some of the limitations of the standard economic model of self-interested individuals.
Publications
- The Theory of Learning in Games, co-author with Drew Fudenberg
- Against Intellectual Monopoly, co-author with Michele Boldrin
External links
- Economic and Game Theory, by David K. Levine
- Against Monopoly: Defending the Right to Innovate
- Freshmeat account, author of cross-platform UNIXUnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
software - Copyright Controversies: Freedom, Property, Content Creation, and the DMCA, a Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
conference at which Levine spoke. - Against Intellectual Property lecture, a recording of a free public lecture by David Levine at Simon Fraser University.
- Levine's academic CV