CONCISE VITAE

Dr. John Cobin is a Financial Planner and Radio Talk Show host in Greenville, South Carolina. He also teaches graduate and undergraduate courses (part time) in economics and public policy, and has lectured in South America and Europe many times in 2000, 2002 and 2003. He is an adjunct professor at North Greenville College in Tigerville, SC. Recently he has taught at the University of LaVerne in Oxnard, CA, the University of California, Santa Barbara Extension program in Ventura, CA and at Antioch University in Santa Barbara, CA. Previously he was a manager of a research department in Goleta, California, as well as a public policy consultant in Cambria, California. Moreover, he retains his status as Visiting Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala. In prior years Dr. Cobin also taught at universities in Chile, including Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile, the International MBA program at Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Viña del Mar, Chile, plus the MBA program at Universidad del Desarrollo in Santiago (also in Concepción), Chile.  He worked at Universidad Finis Terrae in Santiago, Chile as a full time professor for nearly 4 years and was a semester at Universidad Marítima in Viña del Mar, Chile in 1996. He is active in public policy research and writing, and has completed projects for Centro de Estudios Públicos in Santiago. Dr. Cobin received his BA in Business Economics from California State University, Long Beach (1985), his MA in Business Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara (1987), his MA in Economics from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia (1995), and his PhD in Public Policy also from George Mason University (1996). 

Dr. Cobin’s research has focused on evaluating urban public policies such as zoning, building and fire safety regulation, and highway construction, as well as theoretical ways to reduce economic problems associated with them (e.g., his book Building Regulation, Market Alternatives, and Allodial Policy, London: Avebury, 1997.)  He has also written on applied micro-economic topics, policy issues such as abortion, and this introductory text A Primer on Modern Themes in Free Market Economics and Policy (Parkland, Florida: Universal Publishers, 1999) covering public choice, Austrian economics, law and economics, and public policy themes. This book is also published in Spanish as Ensayos Sobre Temas Modernos de la Economía de Mercado (Universidad Finis Terrae and Universal Publishers, 1999).  Dr. Cobin has also written Bible and Government: Public Policy from a Christian Perspective and Pro-Life Policy: A Perspective for Liberty and Human Rights (both with Alertness Books, 2003).  (Click here for papers and here for books for more information about Dr. Cobin's academic papers and books.) In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Cobin has been a successful entrepreneur and consultant, having started and operated three small businesses for several years.
 

EDUCATION

[View transcripts]

Ph.D. Public Policy
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, May 1996
(3.55 GPA on a 4.00 scale).
Field: Law and Austrian Economics.
Track: Evolutionary Economic Policy.
Dissertation: Building Regulation, Market Alternatives, and Allodial Policy.
List of John's and other GMU public policy dissertations
John's name on the list of the Mercatus Center's PhD alumni
M.A. Economics
George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, December 1995 (3.50).
Courses/Exams: Law and Economics, Macroeconomics, Austrian Economics
M.A. Business Economics
University of California, Santa Barbara, 1987 (3.53).
Courses: Finance & Investments, Taxation, Forecasting, and Management.
B.A. Business Economics
California State University, Long Beach, 1985 (3.45).
A.R.E. Liberal Arts and Religious Studies
Reformed Bible College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1984 (3.59).
John's name on the alumni list of Reformed Bible College
 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Investment Adviser and Principal (and Visiting Professor part time)
[May 2001 - Present]  Independent Brokerage of Investments and Securities in Greenville, SC, utilizing many insurance carriers. Plus he was part time Professor at North Greenville College, Tigerville, SC.

Director of Research (and Senior Economist)
[January-April 2001]  Hispanic Business, Santa Barbara, CA Managed research department providing for magazine's core product, plus sales and e-commerce support. Develops consulting business for the firm and international economics committee. Troubled firm was unable to make good on what it promised for my role/department so I resigned after giving them 90 days (normal trial period).

Policy expert and Visiting Professor of Public Policy
[2000 - 2001]  Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala and for a period at National American University, Rapid City, South Dakota. Besides teaching and research, I am creating an online Masters and PhD program in economics and public policy. I wrote an extensive business plan and powerpoint presentation, finding the best profesors in Latin America and the considerable capital to finance the project. Part of this project has been to develop a joint venture with George Mason University's Master of Arts in International Commerce and Policy program. I teach courses in regulation and free market economics/public policy, i.e., public choice, Austrian economics, and law and economics themes, in Spanish (mostly). I am listed in the Heritage Foundation's Database of International Policy experts and I do consulting for Centro de Estudios Publicos in Santiago and elsewhere. I have been invited to participate in seminars and conferences to share my expertise in many parts of the world, including Washington, D.C., Prague, Aix-en-Provence, France, Brussels, Lima, Buenos Aires, Guatemala, and Santiago. In addition, I give lectures (mostly to graduate students) in Santiago and occasionally teach an undergraduate or graduate course part time. I also manage the Policy of Liberty website with its free market resources for erudite researchers and students, plus its email list for about 70 policy professionals and academics around the world. Moreover, I am actively publishing and marketing my five books via my website, via PDF, print-on-demand, and other formats, all of which can also be seen at Amazon.com.

LINK TO TABLE OF COURSES TAUGHT

READ DR. COBIN'S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Professor of Economics and Public Policy
[1996 - 2000]  Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile where I did extensive research and I taught courses in regulation and free market economics/public policy (i.e., public choice, Austrian economics, and law and economics themes) in Spanish (mostly).  Other universities in Chile where I taught courses regulation, public policy, and microeconomics in either English or Spanish. Centro de Estudios Públicos, Santiago, Chile where I have done public policy research and writing. I was also Adjunct (Visiting) Professor of Economics and Public Policy at George Mason University's Institute for Public Policy as co-leader of the Chile and the Global Economy Program (study abroad) in the International Commerce and Policy Program.

Policy Project Consultant & Teaching/Research Assistant (part time)
[1994 - 1995]  The Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C., Center for Market Processes, Fairfax, Virginia (now part of the James M. Buchanan Center for Political Economy), and The Washington Institute for Policy Studies, Seattle, Washington  While in graduate school, I collected, arranged, and analyzed economic data pertaining to government institutional policy and regulation, and business efficiency case studies.  In addition, I wrote publishable-quality reports and policy recommendations, utilizing pertinent economic theory.

Financial Sales and Consulting Practice
[1989 - 1994+]  John Cobin, M.A., Financial Services, Rogue River, Oregon.  Employing the services of broker-dealers, I opened and ran a financial services office, with occasional part time employees.  In this entrepreneurial endeavor, I marketed stocks, mutual funds, precious metals, annuities, and life and health insurance products.  I developed over 100 clients and maintained between $1M and $2M under management.  I provided full financial planning for many clients.
 

Vending Business Entrepreneur and Manager (part time)
[1989 - 1993]  J & F Enterprises, Grants Pass, Oregon.  I invested over $50,000 to build this entrepreneurial endeavor “from the ground up.”  Without prior experience or contacts, I purchased and “located” (by marketing my program to various retailers) over 150 bulk candy, cologne, and toy vending machines (coin-operated).  After a year of full time work, the business became a turnkey operation that yielded an annual return of about 46%.  It netted $20,000 per year, requiring only 6 days of labor per month.  The business was sold for $55,000 in 1993.

Microcomputer Consultant and dBASE Programmer (part time)
[1986 - 1992]  Profitable Solutions, Inc., California, Hawaii, and Oregon.  This entrepreneurial practice began as a supplement to my work as a college instructor.  I purchased and installed hardware and software applications for personal computers.  I provided extensive dBASE programming for clients in Hawaii, Las Vegas, Colorado, and Oregon.  I also performed troubleshooting services and ad hoc projects from time to time.

Instructor (Economics, Finance, Business & Computer Applications)
[Fall of 1989]  Southern Oregon State College, Ashland, Oregon
                       (one class)
[1988 - 1989]  Rogue Community College, Grants Pass, Oregon
[1987 - 1988]  Kauai Community College, Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii
                       (non-tenurial)
[1986 - 1987]  Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara
                       (non-tenurial)
I taught courses in economics, finance, investments, general business subjects, and computer applications. I also advised students and performed administrative duties.

Systems Accountant and Bank Savings Representative
[1985 - 1986]  Cal Fed, Inc., California.  I performed the duties of a savings representative, including customer service and daily account reconciliation in Long Beach, and I later became a staff (systems) accountant for the California Thrift and Loan unit in Santa Barbara.  At that time, I performed general accountancy tasks, reconciling insurance and other corporate accounts, as well as managing the in-house computer system and designing/writing some programs.
 

SCHOLARLY WORK

Papers and Articles
Free Market Economics and Policy Textbook
Public Policy Books
 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

University Faculty for Life
Association of Christian Economists
Society for the Advancement of Austrian Economics
American Economics Association (at times)
 

LANGUAGES

Native speaker of English.  I teach in both English and Spanish, in which I am adequately fluent.
 

ACADEMIC PAPERS PRESENTED AT CONFERENCES

Allodialism and subsidiarity, Summer University, Aix-en-Provence, France, September 5, 2000.
Allodial policy; Crititque of modern law and economics movement, Liberal Institute and Common Law Society, Prague, Czech Republic, September 11-12, 2000, in April 2002 [see write-up in Czech], and again in March 2003.
Siegan Brought Up to Date: A Critique of Zoning Policy in Santiago, European Association of Law and Economics, Gent, Belgium, September 14, 2000.