Peter Backus

I have finished my PhD and am moving to the University of Barcelona for the foreseeable future. Please contact me at peterbackus "at" gmail.com or find me at IEB.

Research Interests

Public Economics, Philanthropy and Fundraising, Empirical Microeconometrics, Behavioral Economics, Non-Profit Maximising Institutions

Teaching

EC331: Research in Applied Economics

Here are the slides from the short lecture on how to write a research paper.

EC335: Managerial Economics
- Lecture notes for EC335

Working Papers

Backus, P.G., (2010): "Is charity a homogenous good?," Warwick Economic Research Paper 951

Clifford, D & Backus, P.G., (2010): “Are big charities becoming increasingly dominant? Tracking charitable income growth 1997-2008 by initial size,” TSRC Working Paper 39

Backus, P.G. & Clifford, D., (2010): “Trends in the concentration of income among charities,” TSRC Working Paper 38

Atkinson, A.B., Backus, P.G. & Micklewright, J., (2009): "Charitable bequests and wealth at death in Great Britain," S3RI Applications & Policy Working Papers, A09/03

Arulampalam, W., Backus, P.G. & Micklewright, J., (2009): "Donations for overseas development: evidence from a panel of UK charities," S3RI Applications & Policy Working Papers, A09/02

Atkinson, A.B., Backus, P.G., Micklewright, J., Pharoah, C. & Schnepf, S., (2008): "Charitable Giving for Overseas Development: UK trends Over a Quarter Century," CEPR Discussion Paper 7087 (Revise and resubmit, JRSSA)

Backus, P.G., (2008): "Discount rates, procrastination and getting it over with"

Non-Academic Articles & Other

Backus, P.G., Review of Meltdown: The End of the Age of Greed, by Paul Mason. International Affairs 85(5) (September 2009): 1064-1065.

Backus, P.G. and Micklewright, J. (2009): "Overseas Aid", Caritas Magazine

Atkinson, A.B., Backus, P.G., Micklewright, J., Pharoah, C. & Schnepf, S., (2009): "Charitable giving for overseas development – UK trends", VOX

Other Bits & Pieces

Help for Economics Students

This page provides a few tips for current and potential Economics students. I came to the discipline rather late and wish I had known then what I know now.

Economics for people who don't like Economics

Economics can be interesting and totally awesome.

Why I don't have a girlfriend.

This is a paper I wrote as a joke a while ago and sadly will be the most successful thing I ever write. Check out this page for links to other simliar exercises and articles.