Robert Jensen

Robert Jensen  is a Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at Wharton. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and his B.A. from Williams College.

He is CoEditor of the Journal of Development Economics and an Associate Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics. He is also a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a fellow of the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) and an affiliate of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL). He has also served as an adviser to the International Labor Organization and the World Bank on a variety of topics including strategies to eradicate child labor and the design of social welfare programs.

His research focuses on the microeconomics of international poverty and economic development, including topics such as gender, health, education, fertility, and the role of markets and private enterprise in promoting economic development. He has conducted and/or currently has ongoing survey projects in China, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nepal and India. His research has been published in leading academic journals including the American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics and Review of Economics and Statistics, and has been profiled in media outlets including The Economist, Foreign Policy, the New York Times, Science and the Wall Street Journal.

Robert Jensen, Information, Demand and the Growth of Firms: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in India (with Nolan Miller), reviseresubmit, American Economic Review.

Robert Jensen, Cool to be Smart or Smart to be Cool? Understanding Peer Pressure in Education (with Leonardo Bursztyn and Georgy Egorov).

Robert Jensen, Social Image and Economic Behavior in the Field: Identifying, Understanding and Shaping Social Pressure (with Leonardo Bursztyn).

Robert Jensen, Keepin' 'em Down on the Farm: Migration and Strategic Investment in Children's Schooling (with Nolan Miller).

Past Courses

BEPP203 BUS IN GLOBAL POL ENVIR

This course examines the nonmarket components of business and the broader political, regulatory, and civil context in which companies function. This course addresses how businesses interact with political and regulatory institutions, as well as the general public, with a focus on the global economy. The first portion examines the realities associated with political economy and the actual making of laws and regulations by imperfect politicians and regulators. The second portion analyzes the economic rationale for legislation and regulation in the presence of market failures. The course covers specific market failures and potential solutions including government regulation.

BEPP233 CONSUMERS,FIRMS & MARKET

Nearly fourfifths of the world's population lives in low income or developing countries. Though currently far behind the U.S., the 15 fastest growing economies/markets in the world are all developing countries. And developing countries already account for 6 of the world's 15 largest economies. This course will examine economic life, including consumers, firms and markets, in low income countries. We will apply both economic theory and empirical analysis for analyzing the roles of both business and government in consumption, production and market equilibria.

BEPP900 RESEARCH SEMINAR

Of the many ways that doctoral students typically learn how to do research, two that are important are watching others give seminar presentations (as in Applied Economics Seminars) and presenting one's own research. The BEPP 900 course provides a venue for the latter. Wharton doctoral students enrolled in this course present applied economics research. Presentations both of papers assigned for other classes and of research leading toward a dissertation are appropriate in BEPP 900. This course aims to help students further develop a handson understanding of the research process. All doctoral students with applied microeconomic interests are encouraged to attend and present. Second and third year Applied Economic Ph.D. students are required to enroll in BEPP 900 and receive onesemester credit per year of participation.

BEPP941 DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS

This course will cover current microeconomic issues of developikng countries including poverty, risk, savings, human capital, and institutions. We will also explore the causes and consequences of market failures that are common in many developing countries with a focus on credit, land, and labor markets. The course is designed to introduce recent research with focus on empirical methods and testing theories with data.

How can we promote gender equality in the workforce?, PBS 03/04/2016