Austin J. Drukker

I am an Economist in the Bureau of Economics at the US Federal Trade Commission. The views expressed on this website are solely mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Federal Trade Commission or its commissioners. I received my PhD in economics from the University of Arizona. 

My research interests are at the intersection of industrial organization and public finance. My current research focuses on transportation policy broadly and the airline industry specifically.

My job market paper uses proprietary data to study the value of airport access for remote communities and the welfare implications of Essential Air Service, a federal government program that provides subsidies to airlines that provide commercial service at certain small airports. I received a $15,000 Dissertation Fellowship from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities in support of this work and a $5,000 Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship from the US Department of Transportation. 

My work on public financing of sports stadiums has been covered by national news outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and the Economist, and I have occasionally discussed my research on TV and radio, including Marketplace, NBC4 Washington, Virginia Public Radio, and St. Louis Public Radio.