Jorge Vásquez’s research lies in the area of applied microeconomic theory, where he leverages theoretical tools as well as insights from behavioral economics, industrial organization, and law and economics to better understand economic mechanisms and social phenomena. Vásquez has worked on a wide array of topics including crime, bitcoin, monopoly regulation, and interdependent preferences. Most recently, he has been interested in the spread of misinformation in social media. Before coming to Smith, Vásquez served as a senior economist for the Bank of Canada and as an assistant professor of economics at Wesleyan University.

Selected Publications

“Bitcoin Adoption and Beliefs in Canada” (with Daniela Balutel, Chris Henry, and Marcel Voia), forthcoming Canadian Journal of Economics 

“A Theory of Crime and Vigilance” American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, 14(3), 255-303, 2022 

“Co-worker Altruism and Unemployment” (with Marek Weretka), Games and Economic Behavior, 130, 224-239, 2021 

“Affective Empathy in Non-cooperative Games” (with Marek Weretka) Games and Economic Behavior, 121, 548-564, 2020

“Monopoly Regulation under Asymmetric Information: Prices versus Quantities” (with Leonardo J. Basso and Nicolás Figueroa) RAND Journal of Economics, 48(3), 557-578, 2017 [lead article]