Vassilis graduated from Athens University of Economics and Business in 2005 with a BSc in International and European Economic Studies and continued his studies at the same institution, gaining an MSc in International Economics and Finance in 2007 and a PhD in Economics in 2011. He joined the Department of Economics at Sheffield in September 2012 to take up the position of Lecturer.

I currently teach Introductory Finance for Economics, Political Economy and Public Economics. In Finance the main aim is to provide students a solid grounding in the theory and the basic mathematical applications of the core topics of finance for economists, such as the time value of money, the cost of capital and the security market line.

Political Economy is designed to provide the basic theoretical tools to analyse public policy formation, political processes and political institutions from a rational choice perspective. The course will deal, for example, with models of electoral competition (median voter, probabilistic voting) and with the effect of democratization on fiscal redistribution. Public economics analyses the impact of public policy on the distribution of income in the economy. We study various market failures as a justification for government intervention, and analyse how public policies can improve market outcomes. Both Political Economy and Public Economics courses are based in reading and discussion of frontier theoretical and empirical research from recent published articles or working papers.

My approach to teaching is to make students see beyond models and make the connection between their handbooks and the real economy. Through practical examples and applications of economic theory on current related issues I try to encourage students’ curiosity, creativity and critical thinking.

• ECN104 Introductory Finance for Economics
• ECN305 Political Economy
• ECN606 Public Economics

Vassilis’ research interests lie in the areas of Political Economics and Public Finance. He has worked on topics such as the impact of elections on fiscal policy, the effect of the latter on re-election prospects, and the relationship between political institutions and fiscal redistribution. In ongoing projects Vassilis investigates the effect of democratisation in the European continent during the 19th century on the structure of the tax system, as well as the importance of women’s enfranchisement in shaping political preferences.

Vassilis is interested in supervising PhD students in variety of topics in political economy including:

• What influences individual preferences for the redistributive role of the government
• Determinants (and causes) of democratization, democratic breakdown and stability
• Drivers of voting behaviour
• Causes and consequences of political cycles

Kammas P & Sarantides V (2018) Do dictatorships redistribute more?. Journal of Comparative Economics. View this article in WRRO. 

Kammas P, Kazakis P & Sarantides V (2017) The effect of culture on fiscal redistribution: Evidence based on genetic, epidemiological and linguistic data. Economics Letters, 160, 95-99. View this article in WRRO

Christodoulakis N & Sarantides V (2017) External Asymmetries in the Euro Area and the Role of Foreign Direct Investment. The World Economy, 40(2), 393-423. View this article in WRRO

Kammas P & Sarantides V (2016) Fiscal redistribution around elections when democracy is not "the only game in town". Public Choice, 168(3), 279-311. View this article in WRRO

Katsimi M & Sarantides V (2015) Public investment and reelection prospects in developed countries. Southern Economic Journal, 82(2), 471-500. View this article in WRRO

View all of Vassilis Sarantides' publications