Steven Callander

StevenCallander
Professor of Political Economy
Professor of Economics (by courtesy), School of Humanities and Sciences
Academic Area: 
Political Economy

Additional Administrative Titles

  • Co-Director, Leading in Turbulent Times: Managing Reputation and Political Risk
Director, Policy and Innovation Initiative

Research Statement

Steve Callander’s research interests lie at the intersection of business, politics, and society. As a researcher, he uses the tools of game theory to build models of political and economic institutions (legislatures, bureaucracies, markets, etc.) to understand how they work, how they can be designed better, and how business strategy can incorporate “beyond market” issues. At the GSB, Professor Callander teaches classes on Strategy Beyond Markets and Strategic Crisis Management in both the MBA program and a variety of Executive Education programs.

Bio

Steve Callander is a Professor of Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. His research has been published in leading journals of economics and political science, including the American Economic Review, the American Political Science Review, and the Journal of Political Economy. He received a B.Commerce (Honours) from the University of New South Wales, Australia, and a MS and PhD from Caltech. Before moving to Stanford, he taught at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and was a visiting scholar at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Social Science, California Institute of Technology, 2002
  • MS in Social Science, California Institute of Technology, 1999
  • BCommerce (1st Class Honours), Economics and Finance, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 1996

Academic Appointments

  • Associate Professor (with tenure), Stanford GSB.
  • Visiting Scholar, Harris School of Public Policy - University of Chicago.
  • Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences, Kellogg School of Management - Northwestern University.

Awards and Honors

  • GSB Trust Faculty Fellow, 2010-2011, 2012-2013, 2013-2014
  • Excellence in Refereeing Award, 2009, 2012
  • QJPS Referee Hall of Fame 2005-2014

Publications

Journal Articles

Steven Callander, Gregory Martin. American Journal of Political Science. January 2017, Vol. 61, Issue 1, Pages 50-67.
Steven Callander, Tom Clark. American Political Science Review (forthcoming). February 24, 2016, Vol. 111, Issue 1, Pages 184-203.
Steven Callander, Bard Harstad. Quarterly Journal of Economics. May 2015, Vol. 130, Issue 2, Pages 951-1002.
Steven Callander, Keith Krehbiel. American Journal of Political Science. October 2014, Vol. 58, Issue 4, Pages 819-834.
Steven Callander, Patrick Hummel. Econometrica. July 2014, Vol. 82, Issue 4, Pages 1509-1528.
Steven Callander. American Political Science Review. November 2011, Vol. 105, Issue 4, Pages 643-662.
Steven Callander. American Economic Review. 2011, Vol. 101, Issue 6, Pages 2277-2308.

Working Papers

Managing on Rugged Landscapes | PDF
Steven Callander, Niko Matouschek, December 112014
Durable Policy, Political Accountability, and Active Waste | PDF
Steven Callander, Davin Raiha, November 122014

Teaching

Degree Courses

2019-20

Politicians, regulators, and voters place limits on - and present opportunities for - nearly every business. Firms like Uber, Airbnb, and Google do not only remain cognizant of existing laws, they also look for opportunities to change the law in...

The future of the energy industry is deeply intertwined with politics and the formation of policy. What happens beyond the market shapes the rules of the game for market competition. In this class we'll take a deeper dive into the market and...

Why cities? Cities are where billions of people live and they are the engine for innovation and economic growth. They are also going through enormous change and battling with fundamental social problems, like inequality, housing, the environment...

This course provides an introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics considered include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria,...

2018-19

The future of the energy industry is deeply intertwined with politics and the formation of policy. What happens beyond the market shapes the rules of the game for market competition. In this class we'll take a deeper dive into the market and...

This course provides an introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics considered include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria,...

2017-18

Politicians, regulators, and voters place limits on - and present opportunities for - nearly every business. Firms like Uber, Airbnb, and Google do not only remain cognizant of existing laws, they also look for opportunities to change the law in...

The future of the energy industry is deeply intertwined with politics and the formation of policy. What happens beyond the market shapes the rules of the game for market competition. In this class we'll take a deeper dive into the market and...

This course provides an introduction to political economy with an emphasis on formal models of collective choice, public institutions, and political competition. Topics considered include voting theory, social choice, institutional equilibria,...

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

Stanford Case Studies

Australia's Power Deregulation Experience | P96
Steven Callander, Jeffrey Conn, Hencye Sights2018
Part II: Uber in London | P81B
Steven Callander, Amadeus Orleans, Jeff Conn2018
Part III: Uber in Sao Paulo | P81C
Steven Callander, Amadeus Orleans, Jeff Conn, Carlos Varjao2018
Part IV: Uber in Seoul | P81D
Steven Callander, Amadeus Orleans, Jeff Conn2018
Sunrun in 2017: Net Metering in Nevada (A) | P93A
Steven Callander, Josh Richman, Cameron Lehman2018
Sunrun in 2017: Net Metering in Nevada (B) | P93B
Steven Callander, Cameron Lehman2018
SOPA The Media Industry Fights Online Copyright Infringement | P82
Steven Callander, David Hoyt2013
Part I: Uber in Washington, D.C. | P81A
Steven Callander, David Hoyt2012

Stanford University Affiliations

Stanford GSB

Greater Stanford University

  • Professor of Economics (by courtesy), Department of Economics

Service to the Profession

Editorial Positions

  • Board of Editors, American Economic Review, 2012-present.
  • Associate Editor, Quantitative Economics, 2013-present.
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Theoretical Politics, 2014-present

Insights by Stanford Business

June 14, 2017
Real-world disruptions inevitably lead to “policy decay,” but corrections are hard to come by.
July 7, 2016
Should your company wade into hot-button issues?
February 8, 2016
Four Stanford GSB professors show how our elected officials win over voters.
June 18, 2015
Political risk is inevitable, but there are ways to mitigate it.
May 19, 2015
A Stanford professor argues that state innovation needs a federal nudge.
January 12, 2015
A Stanford professor of political economy finds virtue in filibusters and “unelected bureaucrats.”

School News

February 27, 2018
“Effective leaders in the digital age will need to be mindful of the social consequences of technology.”
April 7, 2016
Business doesn’t operate in a vacuum; it’s buffeted by the unpredictable winds of government, the media, and countless other influential groups.