Professor David Jacks received his Bachelors in Economics and History (with a German minor) from the University of Memphis in 1997. Subsequently, he received a Master’s in Economics from the University of Memphis in 1998 and a Master’s in Economic History from the London School of Economics in 1999. His terminal degree, a PhD in Economics from the University of California, Davis, was awarded in 2004. In 2015, he was appointed as a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (Cambridge, USA). In 2019, he was also appointed as a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (London, UK).
Prof Jacks has been invited to give academic and non-academic presentations on over 100 occasions in 22 countries and has been an invited visitor to 13 institutions in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America as well as serving on the editorial boards of three journals. His research has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council of the United Kingdom, the French National Research Agency, the National Science Foundation of the United States, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
He has also served as a consultant for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Richard Chandler Corporation, and Chang and Tsao Family Holdings. His work has been cited by outlets such as The Economist, The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, among others.
Prof Jacks’ research spans three main areas. One relates to the long-run evolution of the global economy as especially seen in the changing nature of international trade and the regimes governing it from the nineteenth century. Another area of interest relates to the development of global commodity markets and related institutions as well as their effects on cross-country differences in economic performance and inequality. The final strand of research relates to the regulation of public access to alcohol, in particular the experience of United States in repealing federal prohibition in the 1930s and its consequences on contemporary and subsequent public health.
Research Specialisations
- Economic & financial history
- International trade & finance
Selected Papers
“Infant Mortality and the Repeal of Federal Prohibition.” Economic Journal, forthcoming (With Krishna Pendakur and Hitoshi Shigeoka)
“From Boom to Bust: A Typology of Real Commodity Prices in the Long Run.” Cliometrica 13(2), 2019: 202-220.
“Market Potential and Global Growth over the Long Twentieth Century.” Journal of International Economics 114, 2018: 221-237. (With Dennis Novy)
“Commodity Price Volatility and World Market Integration since 1700.” Review of Economics and Statistics 93(3), 2011: 800-813. (With Kevin H. O’Rourke and Jeffrey G. Williamson)
“Trade Booms, Trade Busts, and Trade Costs.” Journal of International Economics 83(2), 2011: 185-201. (With Christopher M. Meissner and Dennis Novy)
“Global Trade and the Maritime Transport Revolution.” Review of Economics and Statistics 92(4), 2010: 745-755. (With Krishna Pendakur)
“Populists versus Theorists: Futures Markets and the Volatility of Prices.” Explorations in Economic History 44(2), 2007: 342-362.
“Real Inequality in Europe since 1500.” Journal of Economic History 62(2), 2002: 322-355. (With Philip T. Hoffman, Patricia A. Levin, and Peter H. Lindert)
