Symposium: Celebrating the career of James Markusen

• Published date: 01 November 2018
• Date: 01 November 2018
• Author: Keith E. Maskus
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/roie.12377

Rev Int Econ. 2018;26:977–980. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/roie © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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DOI: 10.1111/roie.12377

EDITORIAL

Symposium: Celebrating the career of James

Markusen

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INTRODUCTION TO THE SYMPOSIUM

Since the late 1970s James (Jim) Markusen has been one of the top international trade theorists,

known and respected globally for his pioneering and penetrating insights into virtually every aspect of

the profession. Jim retired from the University of Colorado Boulder in May, 2017, though he continues

to be quite active in publishing and professional travel. To recognize his extraordinary career accom-

plishments, a small symposium in his honor was held in Boulder on September 1, 2017. The event

attracted top economists from around the world, many of whom had known and collaborated with

Jim for decades, and a large number of former graduate students. Seven original research papers were

presented at the symposium, with each receiving solicited comments. In this section of the Review of

International Economics, we present five of those papers in edited form.

In this introduction I offer a brief retrospective on Jim’s career and then briefly describe the five

papers included.

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Career retrospective

Jim Markusen graduated from Boston College and immediately entered the PhD program there, fin-

ishing in 1973 under the guidance of Professor Jim Anderson. Markusen took a position as assistant

professor at the University of Western Ontario, where he taught until 1990 and where he compiled a

remarkable record of top contributions in trade theory. Along with Jim Melvin and others, Markusen

formed the core of an exceptional group of trade economists at Western Ontario for nearly 20 years.

In 1990 he moved to the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was soon named University

Distinguished Professor, its highest academic rank. Jim and his wife, Professor Ann Carlos, also

enjoyed appointments as Professors at University College, Dublin (2008–2010), in addition to numer-

ous visiting appointments around the world. Jim has been a research associate at the National Bureau

of Economic Research since 1990 and was co‐editor of the Journal of International Economics from

1992 to 2002.

The breadth and depth of Markusen’s research contribution are remarkable. His earliest work,

stemming from his PhD dissertation, really defined the field of optimal control of international com-

mon‐property resources. That work quickly turned into major publications in the 1970s that remain

highly cited today, precisely because the insights it offers remain highly relevant. He was among the

first to study deeply how the existence of international trade affected the operation and effectiveness

of various kinds of taxes aimed at dealing with resource externalities. Markusen made equally import-

ant contributions in his early career in applied microeconomic theory in urban economics, land devel-

opment, and contracts in labor markets. Jim returned to each of these areas occasionally throughout

his career.