Dr. Persico is currently the John L. and Helen Kellogg Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He received his PhD in Economics from Northwestern University in 1996, and spent one year on the faculty at UCLA prior to joining Penn in 1997, where he was granted tenure. He moved to NYU in 2006 as Professor of Economics, and Professor of Law and Society. Dr. Persico joined, Kellogg in 2011. Dr. Persico has received a number of honors and fellowships, including several National Science Foundation Grants, and he was an Alfred P. Sloan research fellow from 2002-2004. He served on the editorial board of the International Economic Review, has been associate editor of Econometrica, of The American Economic Review, and of the Journal of the European Economic Association, and co-editor of Theoretical Economics and of the Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization. He is currently a co-editor of the RAND Journal of Economics. Dr. Persico has published in the areas of political economy, law and economics, and labor economics.

Contract Theory, Economics of Organizations, Political Economy/Design, Labor Economics, Microeconomics, Game Theory

• PhD, 1996, Economics, Northwestern University
• PhD, 1995, Mathematical Economics , Trieste, Italy
• Laurea, 1991, Economics, Università Bocconi, Magna cum Laude

• Professor, Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2011-present
• Professor (courtesy), Economics, Northwestern University, 2011-present
• Research Associate, NBER, 2006-present
• Professor, Economics and Law and Society, New York University, 2006-2011
• Associate Professor, Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 2001-2006
• Visiting Fellow, Economics, Princeton University, 2001-2001
• Assistant Professor, Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1997-2001
• Assistant Professor, Economics, UCLA, 1996-1997

• Fellow of the Econometric Society
• Chairs' Core Course Teaching Award, 2017-18

• Editor, RAND Journal of Economics, 2020
• Editorial Board, Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization, 2017-2020
• Co-Editor, Theoretical Economics, 2011-2015
• Board of Editors, American Economic Review, 2009-2011
• Associate Editor, Econometrica, 2009-2011
• Associate Editor, Journal of the European Economic Association, 2009-2011
• Editorial Board, International Economic Review, 2001-2006

Political Economy, Business Strategy

Research in Economics (MECS-560-3)
This course introduces first-year PhD students to the economics research environment. With an emphasis on breadth, and minimal prerequisite knowledge at the graduate level, students are exposed to the process of forming and answering research questions. The course involves multiple faculty providing their perspective on successful approaches to research by highlighting significant recent works in their respective fields of interest.

Political Economy I: Budget Deficits: A Political Economy View (MECS-540-1)
This course reviews the economic and political-economic literature on budget deficits. We cover theoretical and empirical papers on topics including: economic and politico-economic models of government debt; the impact of debt on growth; the effect of fiscal rules; and sovereign defaults, with emphasis on recent developments . The course is complementary with Public Finance and Macro.

Workshop on Research Development (KPHD-520-0)
PhD students present new research ideas to faculty and students.  Students must situate their ideas in a relevant literature, outline the type of results/analysis that the student expects to carry out, and most importantly, the potential contributions. Emphasis will be placed on the evaluating the viability of research ideas as job market papers.

Strategic Crisis Management (KPPIX-910-0)
Strategic Crisis Management provides conceptual tools for managers in high-pressure, complex crisis situations. Topics include management and media, dealing with activists and interest groups, and surviving legal, legislative and regulatory challenges.

Strategy Beyond Markets (KPPIX-441-0)
"All economic systems are defined by ""rules of the game:"" laws, regulations, and implicit norms of behavior that structure market competition. Examples include: antitrust legislation; regulatory compliance requirements; privacy regulation and norms; intellectual property rules; product liability rules; barriers to exports; etc. Successful companies excel at reacting to, and influencing, these rules. Disney, for example, successfully lobbied to extend the duration of copyright protection, thus prolonging its exclusive ownership of the Mickey Mouse character. In another example, Monsanto has long been seeking to overcome European Union regulatory barriers to genetically modified crops. Often, success in these ""non-market"" endeavors is critical for sustaining market competitiveness of a single firm or of a whole industry. In this class you will learn how to think strategically about the rules of the game, and how to make the rules of the game work for your company."

Strategy Beyond Markets (KPPI-441-0)
Many business models are hostage to laws and regulations (Uber, AirBnB, Facebook, fracking, …) Other business models cater specifically to existing regulations (electric vehicles, e.g.). These laws and regulations represent the "rules of the competitive game." These rules of the game favor some business models over others, but they are not fixed: they are subject to change. Uber, for example, is able to gain a license to operate by changing the rules of the competitive game in a given jurisdiction. The rules of the game also vary significantly across countries. This class will teach you: who makes the rules of the competitive game, whether they can realistically and ethically be changed, and how to know whether the existing rules of the game are favorable to your business model. The analytical framework for beyond-market strategy goes beyond that of traditional competitive strategy. Beyond-market strategy is an emerging discipline which combines elements of competitive strategy, political science, and game theory. The grading is based on in-class group assignments, an individual mid-term exam, and a final group project due before the end of finals week. There is no final exam.

Leadership and Crisis Management (KPPI-440-5)
This course was formerly known as KPPI 440-A
In recent decades corporations have increasingly become the dominant source for political and social change. Increased globalization and technological progress have further accelerated this process. Businesses are now held accountable by standards other than legal compliance or financial performance. Successful business leaders have recognized that these challenges are best mastered by a commitment to values-based management. However, simply "doing the right thing" is not enough. Rather, companies increasingly find themselves as targets of aggressive legal action, media coverage and social pressure. Organizations must be prepared to handle rapidly changing environments and anticipate potential threats. This requires a deep understanding of the strategic complexities in managing various stakeholders and constituencies. To confront students with these challenges in a realistic fashion, the class is structured around a rich set of challenging case studies and crisis simulation exercises.