Christis G. Tombazos

Department of Economics

Monash University

AUSTRALIA

 

 

 

CONTENTS

(last updated: 29/05/2009 9:50)

(Selecting a hyperlink from the following items will direct you to the relevant section of the web-page)

 

 

Research

Teaching

Contact and Personal Details

Political Commentary

Australian Universities

 

 

 

 

Research

 

Research Interests

International trade theory, endogenous global division of labor and inframarginal models of trade, trade and labor market interactions, endogenous trade policy formation, applications of duality and production theory to international trade

 

 

Research Activities

 

Director of Research, Department of Economics

Editor: Division of Labor and Transaction Costs

 

 

Recent ARC Discovery Grants

 

2005-2007, A Neo-Heckscher-Ohlin Model of Trade with Endogenous Production Patterns (CI: C. Tombazos)

 

Selection of Current Projects

 

 

Harris, N. Mark, Laszlo Matyas, and Christis G. Tombazos “Production Profile Compatibility in a Dynamic Gravity Model of Trade”.

 

Abstract: The extent to which what countries produce makes them ‘compatible’ to trade is an issue that has so far eluded the popular Gravity framework of international exchange. Efforts to account for exogenous sources of comparative advantage, via regressors such as per capita GDP, do not seem to adequately capture either differential technologies or differential factor endowments across countries (see Melitz, European Econ. Review, 2007). At the same time, the recent findings of Debaere (Journal of Intern. Econ., 2005) suggest that reliance on a new trade theory justification for the model does not itself justify the presumption that the degree of specialization across countries is sufficiently uniform or pronounced to render them, ceteris paribus, equally trade compatible. To address this long-standing weakness of the Gravity model we introduce a dynamic specification that relies on trade reciprocity to account for the extent to which the production profiles of different countries are trade compatible. The model is estimated using an APEC panel of data for the years 1973 to 2000. Our results provide strong support for the view that the neglected measure of production profile compatibility plays a important role in the Gravity setting.

 

Tombazos, Christis G., and Dingsheng Zhang “Specialisation, Trade in Intermediate Goods, and Wage Inequality.”

 

                                           Abstract: Using a model that recognizes the prevalent cross-country specialization in production and the intermediate nature of all traded products, we investigate the effect of observed trends in the prices of ordinary intermediate and semi-final imports on the wage differential between skilled and unskilled labor in the United States. Contrary to earlier findings, our results suggest that decreases in import prices compress this differential. Sources of wage inequality are however found in skill-biased economy-wide dynamic processes of capital accumulation and technical change. The paper offers a simple theoretical model that features endogenous specialization, trade in intermediate products, trade costs, and sources of comparative advantage that derive from both factor endowments and technology that reconciles our findings with related stylized facts

 

 

Recent Publications

 

Forthcoming         Opp, Marcus M., Hugo F. Sonnenschein, and Christis G. Tombazos “Rybczynski’s Theorem in the Heckscher-Ohlin World – Anything Goes.” Journal of International Economics.

 

Forthcoming         Tombazos, Christis G. “Imports, Production, and the Australian Worker.” In Australian and Japanese Labour Markets Compared: Different Roads to Reform, edited by Jenny Corbett. London: Routledge, 2009.

 

2008                    Corden, Max W., Peter Forsyth, and Christis G. Tombazos “Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Society of Australia 2008, Yew-Kwang Ng.” Economic Record  84, 265, (2008): 267-272.

 

2007                    Tombazos, C. G. “Specialisation, the Intermediate Nature of Traded Commodities, and the Myth of Import Driven Wage Inequality in the United States.” Pacific Economic Review 12, no. 1, (2007): 117-128.

 

2006                    Tombazos, C. G. and Stephen Miller “Returning to the Classical Tradition: The Relevance and Application of Inframarginal Analysis to Development Economics.” In Inframarginal Contributions to Development Economics, edited by Christis G. Tombazos, and Xiaokai Yang. London and River Edge N.J.: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2006.

2006                    Tombazos, Christis G., and Xiaokai Yang, eds. Inframarginal Contributions to Development Economics. Edited by James Buchanan, Yew-Kwang Ng and Xiaokai Yang. Vol. 3, Increasing Returns and Inframarginal Economics. London and River Edge N.J.: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2006.

 

2006                    Tombazos, Christis G. “Xiaokai Yang: Some Recollections.” Division of Labour and Transaction Costs 1, no. 2, June, (2006): 219.

 

2006                    Tombazos, C. G. “In Defence of Infamarginal Economics.” Economic Papers 2006, 25(2), 196-204.

 

2006                    Tombazos, C. G. “Marginal Vs. Inframarginal Analysis and the Theory of Distribution Vs. the Development of a Theory of Economic Organisation.” Economic Papers 2006, 25(2), 101-116.

 

2005                    Tombazos, C. G., X. Yang, and D. Zhang. “A Neo-Heckscher Ohlin Model of Trade with Endogenous Production Patterns.” Economic Record, 81(255), 2005, S71-81.

 

2005                    Tombazos, C. G. “A Revisionist Perspective of European Research in Economics.” European Economic Review, 49(2), 2005, 251-277 (leading).

2005                    Tombazos, C. G. “Division of Labor and Corner Solutions in Positive Trade Theory”, in An Inframarginal Approach to Trade Theory, edited by Xiaokai Yang, Wenli Cheng, Heling Shi and Christis G. Tombazos. London and River Edge N.J.: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2005, pgs. 3-15.

2005                    Yang, X., W. Cheng, H. Shi, and C. G. Tombazos, eds. An Inframarginal Approach to Trade Theory. Edited by James Buchanan, Yew-Kwang Ng and Xiaokai Yang, Increasing Returns and Inframarginal Economics. London and River Edge N.J.: World Scientific Publishing Co., 2005. (Click here to order through Amazon).

 

Software

 

2004                  "Market Distortions and International Trade Policy: Mathematical Treatment and Dynamic Animations" (with Brian Chapman).

 

 

Teaching

 

 

SEMESTER 1, 2009

 

Microeconomic Theory (ECC4650 Honours subject)

The online evaluation page for the 2009 edition of ECC4650 is not yet available.

                        1. Items on Reserve at Matheson Library

                        2. Electronic handouts - the following documents may not be available throughout the year

                          Utility Maximisation: A Three-dimensional Perspective Using Mathematica

                          Handout 1 - Optimisation and Duality

                          Handout 2 - Income and Substitution Effects

                          Handout 3 - Problem Set on Consumer Choice and Production Theory

                          Handout 4 - Solutions to Problem Set on Cons. Choice and Prod. Theory: pg 1, pg 2, pg 3, pg 4, pg 5, pg 6, Problem set 1 - correction

                          Handout 5 - Two-Part Tariffs

                          Handout 6 - Problem Set on General Equilib.Two-Part Tariffs and Moral Hazard

                          Handout 7 - Solutions to Problem Set on Gen. Equil., Two-Part Tariffs and Moral Hazard: pg 1, pg 2, pg 3, pg 4, pg 5, pg 6, pg 7, pg 8, pg 9

 

 

SEMESTER 2, 2009

 

International Trade Policy (ECC4690 Honours subject)

The online evaluation page for the 2009 edition of ECC4690 is not yet available.

                   1. Items on Reserve at Matheson Library

                   2. Electronic handouts (will be released as needed)

                          Handout 1 - The Optimality of Free Trade in the Case of a Small Economy

                          Handout 2 - Consumption Externalities

                          Handout 3 - Light-weight Articles for Discussion (these articles will not be distributed)

                          Handout 4 - Dynamic Non-equivalence of Common Trade Barriers

                          Handout 5 - Summary of "On Exports and Economic Growth"

                          Handout 6 - Trade Policy and Employment

                          Handout 7 - Models of Endogenous Trade Policy Formation

                          Handout 8 - Talking About a Revolution (article by P. Krugman published in "Slate")

                          Handout 9 - Liberalisation Overheads

 

 

 

Contact and Personal Details

 

Education

B.S. (Summa Cum Laude), M.A., Ph.D. (1995) The Ohio State University

 

Contact Details

Christis G. Tombazos

Department of Economics

Monash University

Clayton, Victoria 3800

AUSTRALIA

 

Phone:  ++ 61 (03) 9905-5166

Fax:      ++ 61 (03) 9905-5476

Christis.Tombazos@BusEco.monash.edu.au

 

 

Political Commentary

 

And on the third day: No torture, no secret jails, no Guantanamo!

 

Click here for more...

 

The Case of the Ambient Atmosphere

In this section I host the outstanding documentary “Ambient Atmosphere” by Cypriot journalist Makarios Drousiotis. This documentary examines the quality of political discourse and the state of journalistic integrity in Cyprus following the referendum on the “Annan Plan” for the re-unification of the island. Click here for The Case of the Ambient Atmosphere (with English subtitles).

 

 

Australian Universities

 

Articles and Links

 

Micro-regulation of Universities Ignores Real Issues by Monash Vice Chancellor Richard Larkins (Appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on Dec. 16., 2005)

 

The Mismanagement of Research Funds, Why this Article Deserves $4,000, and the Impact of Sunspots on Australia's Balance of Trade by Christis G. Tombazos (Back on this web site by popular demand. Humorous piece dealing with a serious issue, dedicated to those who will find it more disturbing than amusing. Published long before RQF and ERA were acronyms with familiar sounds)

 

Australian Universities: Moscow on the Molonglo by Max Corden (One of a few published pieces that recognise the self-contradictory education policy of the federal government)

 

Research floored by full Nelson by Stuart Macintyre (On the Nelson-ARC fiasco)

 

Glyn Davis and Melbourne University's New Direction

 

 

Misc

 

What follows is a picture from the Faculty of Business and Economics’ 2007 “Awards Night”. As noted on the invitations, the theme of the evening was “Soaring to Global Excellence”. Subtlety and elegance…subtlety and elegance!

 

ASP 004

 

Disclaimer: This is a personal web-site and, as such, its contents are not necessarily endorsed by the university.

 

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