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Robert Sarvis

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Robert Sarvis

  • MA Fellow

Robert is a native of Northern Virginia and a lifelong believer in freedom, free markets, and the rule of law.  He holds degrees in mathematics from Harvard University and the University of Cambridge and a JD from NYU School of Law.  During law school, he co-founded a libertarian and classical liberal law journal, the NYU Journal of Law & Liberty, dedicating the first issue to Friedrich Hayek, and he has been outspoken in arguing against government regulation of the tech industry.  Robert has worked as a software developer, a lawyer, and a tech entrepreneur, and his research interests span a wide range of topics relating to law, economics, and public policy.

Published Research

‘Living Economics’ Is Enjoyable Economics

Robert Sarvis | Oct 18, 2012
MA Fellow Rob Sarvis reviews the book, "Living Economics: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," by Peter J. Boettke.

Working Papers

The U.S. Experience With Fiscal Stimulus

Antony Davies, Bruce Yandle, Derek Thieme, Robert Sarvis | Apr 05, 2012
Can deliberate government spending activities have a continuing net positive impact on economic activity? Do federal spending programs designed to offset a recession’s negative effects really add a net positive nudge to GDP growth? Can government purposefully and successfully stimulate ongoing employment growth?

Policy Briefs

The Pitfalls of Regulating Consumer Credit

Todd Zywicki, Robert Sarvis | Jan 14, 2013
Government regulators proposing restrictions on specific forms of consumer credit all too often ignore the reality of how and why consumers use credit. They also ignore lenders’ legitimate reasons for pricing their services as they do; consumers’ legitimate reasons for choosing the financing options they do; the risks consumers face when credit offerings are made unavailable to them; and the many consumers who use the particular forms of consumer credit responsibly and effectively.

The Fiscal Health of the States

Jeffrey Miron, Robert Sarvis | Feb 13, 2012
This paper examines the fiscal health of the states, focusing on two worrisome characteristics: an understatement of unfunded pension liabilities and ever-increasing expenditures, driven primarily by health care costs.

Research Areas

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