Tim Besley

School Professor of Economics and Political Science and W Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics, and Teaching at SPP

Expertise: public economics, development economics, political economics

Telephone:

+44 (0)20 7955 6702

Email:

t.besley@lse.ac.uk

Room:

SAL 3.37

Assistant:

Irina Zaraisky

Email:

i.zaraisky@lse.ac.uk

Connect:

Website

Links:

Economics of Environment and Energy
Development
Psychology and Economics
Beveridge 2.0
Hayek Programme in Economics and Liberal Political Economy
Department of Economics

Biography

Professor Sir Tim Besley is School Professor of Economics and Political Science and W. Arthur Lewis Professor of Development Economics in the Department of Economics at LSE. He is also a member of the National Infrastructure Commission. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and British Academy and a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Economic Association and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His main research interests are in political economy and development.

Tim Besley's current research interests are:

Public Economics
Development Economics
Political Economics

Latest

Blog

Why political trust and voluntary compliance have been key to government pandemic responsiveness in Europe

13 January 2023

Timothy Besley and Chris Dann

The effectiveness of policy responses to Covid-19 has varied substantially across Europe. Drawing on new research, Timothy Besley and Christopher Dann illustrate how political trust and voluntary compliance have underpin... Read more...

Blog

State effectiveness and the climate crisis

12 May 2022

Timothy Besley

Combatting the climate crisis is not just an issue of finding money for the right kinds of investment but also ensuring that it is spent effectively, says economist Tim Besley.... Read more...

Blog

Motivated science and green innovation (podcast)

01 April 2022

Timothy Besley

Scientists create innovation. Is this because they are paid to do it, or because they care about the outcome? Tim Besley tells Tim Phillips how motivated science drives down the cost of innovation and may accelerate the ... Read more...

Blog

How might an independent Scotland build fiscal capacity?

28 January 2022

Timothy Besley and Chris Dann

Tim Besley and Chris Dann explain how developing a sense of common purpose is critical for nation-building - and would be a key issue for an independent Scotland.... Read more...

A discussion about the role of social values and the political economy of climate change

25 November 2021

Tim Besley (EOPP, LSE)

Blog

Bureaucracy and development

08 November 2021

Timothy Besley, Robin Burgess, Jonathan Old, Adnan Qadir Khan and Guo Xu

How does bureaucracy matter for development? Over the last years, an enormous interest in this question has created a large body of research, mostly focused around evidence from field experiments and micro-level administ... Read more...

Blog

A sense of mutual obligation means that even the rich should see the point of paying their taxes

01 October 2021

Timothy Besley

Creating a strong sense of reciprocity between the state and its citizens makes it more likely they will pay taxes willingly, says Timothy Besley (LSE). As we emerge from a pandemic that emphasised the importance of mutu... Read more...

Blog

State capacity and development clusters

18 June 2021

Timothy Besley, Chris Dann and Torsten Persson

The determinants of economic development have been debated for many years. However, some of these determinants have been hard to measure internationally. Tim Besley, Chris Dann and Torsten Persson review evidence from 25... Read more...

Journal article

Formulating Industrial Policy

01 November 2019

Timothy Besley and Richard Davies

Alongside the challenge of maintaining economic competitiveness in the face of great uncertainty, Brexit brings an opportunity for the government to set out a new industrial strategy. The case for doing so rests on the n... Read more...

STICERD Public Events and Lectures

Amartya Sen Lecture: Foundations of State Effectiveness

13 March 2019

Tim Besley (EOPP, LSE)

Hosted by the Amartya Sen lecture series, STICERD and the International Inequalities Institute. An effective state promotes freedom and the well-being of its citizens. This lecture will discuss the importance of norms,... Read more...

STICERD Public Events and LecturesRelated Events

Sir William Arthur Lewis Chair in Development Economics Inaugural Lecture: Political Economy and Development: a Progress Report

10 February 2016

Tim Besley (EOPP, LSE)

STICERD Public Events and LecturesRelated EventsCEP Public Events

New Economy Manchester Event

14 May 2013

Tim Besley (EOPP, LSE)

Professor Tim Besley will present the findings of the LSE Growth Commission Report at New Economy Manchester on 14th May 2013 . New Economy Manchester is one of the six Association of Manchester Authorities (AGMA) commis... Read more...