Papers
2
Total Citations
106
H-Index
2
About
Arnaud Costinot is a prominent economist at MIT whose research sits at the intersection of international trade theory, political economy, and the economics of technological change. He is best known for developing rigorous theoretical frameworks that bridge abstract economic modeling with practical policy implications. Among his most influential contributions is his work on optimal technology regulation, particularly the paper "Robots, Trade, and Luddism: A Sufficient Statistic Approach to Optimal Technology Regulation," which has garnered over 100 citations across its iterations. This research addresses one of the most pressing questions of our era: how governments should respond when technological advances — from automation to expanded trade — inevitably create both winners and losers. By deploying the elegant "sufficient statistics" methodology, Costinot translates complex general equilibrium theory into actionable policy guidance within realistic second-best environments featuring household heterogeneity and tax constraints. His ability to formalize intuitive but elusive economic phenomena — captured even in the provocative invocation of Luddism — demonstrates both intellectual creativity and scholarly rigor. His work continues to shape how economists and policymakers think about redistribution, welfare evaluation, and the governance of transformative technologies.
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