Russell S. Sobel

Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship, Baker School of Business at The Citadel

Russell S. Sobel is Professor of Economics & Entrepreneurship in the Baker School of Business at The Citadel in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. He received his Ph.D. in economics from Florida State University in 1994. He is co-editor of the Southern Economic Journal and is a member of the editorial boards for the journals Public Choice and the Journal of Entrepreneurship & Public Policy. He serves as a Regional Advisory Committee Member for the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office Board of Economic Advisors. He is the recipient of numerous awards for both his teaching and research including the Kenneth G. Elzinga Distinguished Teaching Award from the Southern Economic Association, the Georgescu-Roegen Prize for Best Article of the Year in the Southern Economic Journal, the Association of Private Enterprise Education Distinguished Scholar Award, and the Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for his book Unleashing Capitalism. He has produced over two dozen Ph.D. students, most of which have gone on to pursue distinguished academic careers. He is the author or coauthor of over 250 academic journal articles and books including Growth and Variability in State Tax Revenue: An Anatomy of State Fiscal Crises, The Rule of Law, Unleashing Capitalism, and The Essential Joseph Schumpeter. His publications have appeared in a wide variety of academic journals including the Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Law and Economics, Public Choice, Journal of Business Venturing, Small Business Economics, and Economic Inquiry. His research has been featured in many leading news outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, Investor’s Business Daily, The Economist Magazine, The Financial Post, CNBC, and the CBS Evening News. His current recent research focuses on the intersection of entrepreneurship and economic policy.

Recent Research by Russell S. Sobel

— Oct 20, 2022
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Population and the Fiscal Outcomes of Subnational Jurisdictions

Population and the Fiscal Outcomes of Subnational Jurisdictions is a new study that finds once a province or state exceeds a certain population size, the government’s role in the economy begins to grow.

— Oct 4, 2022
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Entrepreneurial Economist Predicted Socialism

Entrepreneurial Economist Predicted Socialism is a new essay that documents how the early 20th century economist Joseph Schumpeter predicted the end of capitalism as a result of capitalism’s very successes: the declining prominence of the innovator, increased calls for barriers to entry from successful businesses, and calls for government to limit the forces of creative destruction.

— Jul 6, 2021
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The Determinants of Subnational Economic Freedom

The Determinants of Subnational Economic Freedom: An Analysis of Data for Seven Countries with Implications for Optimal Jurisdiction Size is a new study that examines if there is an optimal size for a subnational jurisdiction (states and provinces) that will maximize economic freedom. Covering a total of 158 states and provinces in seven countries, this study finds that provinces and states such as Ontario, California and New York whose populations have grown beyond 9.5 million people tend to have higher levels of government spending, higher taxes and less flexible labour markets.