Daron Acemoglu

Daron Acemoglu is one of the world's leading economists and the author of several bestselling books on the subject. His work focuses on the areas of politics, economics, and development economics, with an emphasis on the institutional and political determinants of economic and social development. For nearly two decades, his research has revolutionized the field of development economics, transforming it from a largely methodological and ideological exercise to a field with a distinctly empirical approach.

Acemoglu was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1967, was raised in Ankara and received an undergraduate degree in Minors from Middle East Technical University in 1988. He then went on to receive a Master's Degree in economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science in 1992 and a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996.

Acemoglu is currently the Killian Faculty Fellow and a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has served as a faculty person at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and has been an external professor at Stockholm University since 1999. He was also an associate professor of economics and finance at the College of Business of the University of Arizona.

Acemoglu is an influential scholar in the field of economic development and he is the author of several books. His first book, entitled Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, was co-authored with Harvard professor James Robinson and published in 2012. This book argues that the major factor that determines the future success or failure of a nation is its political and economic systems, rather than its geography or culture. He has also authored other books about economic and institutional theory, including The Turkish Economy: The Real Estate and Financial Contact (2002) and Foundations of Human Development (2004).

Acemoglu is most widely known for his research on the impact of institutions on economic performance. He has introduced the concept of “institutional traps”, whereby a society is captured by its past institutions and hence is unable to switch its equilibrium due to considerable costs. Acemoglu is also an active contributor to the field of political economy, specifically examining the effects of political power on economic outcomes.

Acemoglu has received numerous awards for his work, including the John Bates Clark Medal in 2005 and the Erwin Plein Nemmers Prize in Economic Sciences in 2012. He is also a fellow of the Econometric Society, the National Academy of Sciences, and the British Academy.

Besides his academic pursuits, Acemoglu has appeared on television news programs such as CNBC's Squawkbox and regularly writes in the New York Times and Washington Post. He also writes an economics blog called Marginal Revolution.

In conclusion, Daron Acemoglu is a renowned economist who has made significant contributions to the field of economic development. He has published numerous books, including his latest Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty that has revolutionized the field of development economics. His research on institutional traps has also significantly shaped how economists understand the role of institutions on economic performance. Furthermore, Acemoglu is also a sought-after public speaker, New York Times and Washington Post contributor, and Econometric Society fellow.