About

Kaushik Basu is the Carl Marks Professor of International Studies at Cornell University, affiliated with the Department of Economics. He earned his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics in 1976. His academic interests include development, political economy, industrial organizations, game theory, and law and economics. Basu has been recognized for his contributions to economic development and economic theory, and he has served as co-chair of a UN panel. His work and expertise are frequently featured in discussions on global economic issues, and he has received notable awards such as the Humboldt Research Award. Basu is actively involved in research and conferences related to macroeconomics, development, and the intersection of law and economics.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Social Science
• Psychology
• Political Science
• Demographic economics
• Gender studies
• Epistemology
• Economics
• Social psychology
• Philosophy

Selected publications

• A knowledge curse: how knowledge can reduce human welfare

  Royal Society Open Science · 2024-08-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Greater knowledge is always an advantage for a rational individual. However, this article shows that for a group of rational individuals greater knowledge can backfire, leading to a worse outcome for all. Surprisingly, this can happen even when new knowledge does not mean the discovery of a new action but simply provides a deeper understanding of the interaction at stake. More specifically, enhanced knowledge about the current state of nature may hinder cooperation among purely self-interested individuals. The paper describes this paradoxical possibility-a 'knowledge curse'-and analyses the evolutionary process that occurs if, initially, only a few people have access to the greater knowledge. It concludes with a tentative comment on ways to avert this potential knowledge backlash.

  PublisherDOI

• Introduction: the European Union in global perspective - a governance model on trial

  Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks · 2024-09-10

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  This chapter provides an overview of the contents of this book and the ideas behind the workshop from which it evolved. The authors (and editors) discuss different perceptions of the “model” character of the EU against the backdrop of challenges European integration has had to cope with, especially since a common currency was introduced. While many of the driving forces behind political, economic, and legal integration are peculiar to the European continent and its history and the evolution of the EU cannot therefore serve as an exact blueprint for regional integration elsewhere on the globe, most patterns of regional integration outside Europe nonetheless orientate themselves towards the European experience.

  PublisherDOI

• Keeping your butter safe: groundwork for a new measure of development

  New Zealand Economic Papers · 2024-10-15

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The development of a nation is traditionally measured by GDP per capita, with countries classified as low, lower-middle, upper-middle and high income economies. What is overlooked is that some of the goods consumed by people and part of the GDP, such as barbed wires and private police, are not valued in themselves but are protective measures against crime and corruption, to ensure that goods that are valued are safe. This suggests the need to redefine GDP to measure the true value of what a nation consumes and saves. This paper proposes a new measure and spells out its microeconomic foundation.

  PublisherDOI

• Author response for "A knowledge curse: how knowledge can reduce human welfare"

  2024-05-26

  peer-review1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Soziale Normen und das Recht

  2023-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Eine kurze Geschichte von Law and Economics

  2023-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• The economics of profit-cap policy: Big Pharma, Big Tech, and the duopoly rule

  Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization · 2023-09-19 · 4 citations

  article1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Deficient Phagocytosis in Circulating Monocytes from Patients with COVID-19-Associated Mucormycosis

  mBio · 2023-04-13 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  A number of cases of mucormycosis, often fatal, were reported among severe COVID-19 patients from India as well as from some other parts of the world. However, specific immunocellular mechanisms that underlie susceptibility to this fungal infection in COVID-19 remain largely unexplored. Our study reports a deficiency in phagocytosis by monocytes in COVID-19 patients who are concomitantly afflicted with mucormycosis, with this deficiency being linked to a characteristic monocyte transcriptome as well as a circulating cytokine signature. The functional phenotype and cytokine signature of the monocytes may provide useful biomarkers for detecting potential susceptibility to mucormycosis in COVID-19 as well as in other viral infections.

  PublisherDOI

• Prioritarianism in Practice

  Journal of Economic Literature · 2023-09-01 · 3 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Kaushik Basu of Cornell University reviews “Prioritarianism in Practice” edited by Matthew D. Adler and Ole F. Norheim. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Twelve papers explore the use of prioritarianism as a methodology for evaluating governmental policy, highlighting the value of giving extra weight to the well-being of the worse off in policy assessment across a variety of domains.”

  PublisherDOI

• Recht, Politik, Korruption

  2023-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jörgen W. Weibull

  Stockholm School of Economics

  22 shared

• Tapan Mitra

  Cornell University

  17 shared

• Joseph E. Stiglitz

  17 shared

• Barry Eichengreen

  University of California, Berkeley

  11 shared

• Hodaka Morita

  9 shared

• Avinash Dixit

  Princeton University

  9 shared

• Patrick M. Emerson

  8 shared

• Travis Lee

  Salk Institute for Biological Studies

  8 shared

Awards & honors

• Humboldt Research Award