Generation Next

We asked you, our readers, and assorted international economists and journal editors to tell us which economists under 45 will have the most influence in the coming decades on our understanding of the global economy. F&D researcher Carmen Rollins gathered information from scores of sources to compile this—by no means exhaustive—list of economists to keep an eye on.

NICHOLAS BLOOM, 41, British, Stanford University, uses quantitative research to measure and explain management practices across firms and countries. He also researches the causes and consequences of uncertainty and studies innovation and information technology.

RAJ CHETTY, 35, Indian and American, Harvard University, received his Ph.D. at age 23. He combines empirical evidence and economic theory to research how to improve government policy decisions in areas such as tax policy, unemployment insurance, education, and equality of opportunity.

MELISSA DELL, 31, American, Harvard, examines poverty and insecurity through the relationship between state and nonstate actors and economic development, and studies how reforms such as government crackdowns on drug violence can influence economic outcomes.

ESTHER DUFLO, 42, French and American, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Jameel Poverty Action Lab, focuses on microeconomic issues in developing economies, including household behavior, education, access to finance, health, and policy evaluation.

EMMANUEL FARHI, 35, French, Harvard, is a macroeconomist who focuses on monetary economics, international economics, finance and public finance, including research on global imbalances, monetary and fiscal policy, and taxation.

AMY FINKELSTEIN, 40, American, MIT, researches the impact of public policy on health care systems, government intervention in health insurance markets, and market failures.

KRISTIN FORBES, 44, American, Bank of England and MIT, has held positions in both academia and the U.S. and U.K. economic policy sphere, where she applies her research to policy questions related to international macroeconomics and finance.

ROLAND FRYER, 37, American, Harvard, focuses on the social and political economics of race and inequality in the United States. His research investigates economic disparity through the development of new economic theory and the implementation of randomized experiments.

XAVIER GABAIX, 43, French, New York University (NYU), has researched behavioral economics, finance, and macroeconomics, including...