Corden Public Lecture Series

The Corden Public Lecture Series is named after Emeritus Professor Max Corden, one of Australia’s most famous economists.

Professor Corden contributed to the field of economics through his work and his long and extensive teaching career, during which he shaped the thinking of many of today’s great economists. He is known for his work on the theory of trade protection, including the development of the Dutch disease model of international trade. He has also been active in the fields of international monetary systems, macroeconomic policies of developing countries and Australian economics.

Catch up on the latest lecture

The hidden cost of buying local: Public procurement and job creation

Public procurement, government spending on goods, services, and infrastructure, accounts for roughly 10–15% of GDP in most advanced economies and represents one of the most powerful levers of industrial policy available to governments. Many countries have adopted domestic content requirements and 'buy local' preferences in their procurement rules, from the Buy American Act in the United States to Local Jobs First programs in Australia and equivalent schemes across Europe. This lecture reviews the economic evidence on the consequences of such policies for employment, wages, and taxpayer costs. The findings raise important questions about whether procurement is an efficient tool for job creation and industrial policy.

Professor Matilde Bombardini, University of California, Berkeley

Past lectures