Stephen H. Haber is a professor of political science and history known for his work on the political institutions and economic policies that delay innovation and improvements in living standards.
Education
Haber received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the George Washington University in 1979, his Master of Arts from University of California, Los Angeles in 1981, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from University of California, Los Angeles in 1985. Following the receipt of his Doctor of Philosophy, he began work as an assistant professor at Columbia University in 1985.
Career
Haber is a professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University and a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution, the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, and the Stanford Center for International Development. He directs the Hoover Institution"s Working Group on Intellectual Property, Innovation, and Prosperity. Haber received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the George Washington University in 1979, his Master of Arts
In 1987 Haber became an assistant professor at Stanford University.
Since 2003 he has been the Associate of Arts and Jeanne Welch Milligan Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences.
From 1997–2011 he served as the Director of the Social Science History Program, and from 1995–1998 he served as the Associate Dean for the Social Sciences and Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Humanities and Sciences. Haber"s work has focused on how regulatory and supervisory agencies are often used by incumbent firms to stifle competition, thereby curtailing economic opportunities and slowing technological progress.
His most recent book (coauthored with Charles Calomiris), Fragile by Design: The Political Origins of Banking Crises and Scarce Cr, examines why governments often choose to craft banking regulatory policies in ways that stifle competition and increase systemic risk. Haber is currently at work in two research areas.
One is the impact of geography on the evolution of societies" fundamental economic and political institutions.
His research in this area has been featured in the mainstream press His other current area of interest is the impact of the United States. patent system on innovation and competition among firms.