VoxTalks Economics

On social media and in interviews, voters and their representatives sometimes seem full of rage. Is the current rise in populism driven by this anger, or is that conclusion too simplistic? Klaus Desmet tells Tim Phillips about what research into America’s angriest places tells us.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provided $350 billion in tax credits and other incentives for clean energy technologies in the US. So how did American policymakers respond when South Korean government officials declared it was a “betrayal”? Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute tells Tim Phillips the strange-but-true tale of how the problem was fixed, and what it tells us about protectionist tra...

Scientists are affected by war, like anyone else. Their work is disrupted, they are placed in danger, they may become refugees or casualties. What has been the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on its scientists? Ina Ganguli talks to Tim Phillips.

Estimates of potential growth – the best an economy can do – drive development and poverty reduction. Lower potential is a problem that constrains policymakers and so affects all of us. New research analyses the long downward trend in potential growth, makes projections for the next decade, and suggest ways we can boost it. Sinem Kilic Celik talks to Tim Phillips.

What part does group identity play in who we choose to vote for? In every democracy it seems as if our leaders are using identity politics to gain new voters or define a distinct political agenda, but what does that mean for economic policies and polarisation?  Guido Tabellini tells Tim Phillips about his research into the influence of identity on political alignment in the US.

Opposition to asylum seekers has become a political and social media hot button issue in every high-income country. But does their presence also depress rental values for neighbouring properties? Marius Brülhart tells Tim Phillips about new research from Switzerland that uncovers the effect of immigration on rents.

When suddenly it became quicker and cheaper to travel by train, did this help inventors to work together, and did it mean more and better innovation? Thor Berger and Erik Prawitz – who work 1 hour 50 minutes apart by train, investigated the impact of Sweden’s rail network.

Online share trading makes it possible for all of us to diversify our investments, but social media might encourage us to pile into bad investments. Hans Hvide has researched the impact of the arrival of broadband on the investment habits of Norway’s population, and he has some good news for Tim Phillips.

The way that social scientists define populism might lead them to simplistic conclusions that aren’t supported by the historical record. Kevin O’Rourke tells Tim Phillips about the weak links between populism and nativism, and how economists have sometimes been on the wrong side of important policy debates with the people they call populists.

When India’s post-colonial constitution gave everyone the right to vote, who used that right? And what effects did this reform have on other aspects of democracy? Lakshmi Iyer tells Tim Phillips about the historical link between enfranchisement and democracy in India.

Investors do more business than we would expect close to home. Can Germany’s car licence plates explain what drives local bias in investment? Thilo Huning and Fabian Wahl take Tim Phillips on an unlikely journey.

We are living longer, and so studying the consequences of changes to our income and health after we stop working is becoming more important. Jeanne Commault tells Tim Phillips how income and health shocks affect seniors, and whether the impact of these changes is the same as for working-age people.

From the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics. One route out of poverty is to change external conditions: provide assets, jobs, healthcare. But can we also treat depression, or low self-esteem, or low aspirations, and does that help poverty reduction? Dean Karlan of Northwestern University tells Tim Phillips what new research is telling us – and what we don’t yet know. 

Recorded live at the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics. We all learn that high inflation creates price distortions. But it has been impossible to observe that effect directly -- until now. Klaus Adam of the University of Mannheim has used price data to identify those elusive distortions, and he tells Tim Phillips how he did it.

Recorded live at the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics. Does economic inequality create political inequality? Julia Cagé tells Tim Phillips about the strategies that rich people can use to influence the political debate, how democracy is undermined when the wealthy have access to power – and how we can change the system to restore the confidence of voters.

Recorded live at the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics. India is still one of the five worst countries in the world for the health and survival of women. The recent introduction of massive health insurance programmes should help close this deadly gender gap. But is that happening? Pascaline Dupas of Stanford talks to Tim Phillips.

From the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics, Tim Phillips meets three of the young researchers who were chosen to present to the conference. Duncan Webb and Thiago Scarelli of PSE, and Carmen Villa-Llera of the University of Warwick talk about their research – and what their hopes are for the future of economics.

Is innovation our best hope for dealing with climate change and, if so, how can we stimulate the sort of innovation that we need to make the green energy transition? Philippe Aghion tells Tim Phillips that we need both carbon tax and industrial policy and, like a visit to the dentist, the pain gets worse the longer we wait.

From the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics. The IFS in the UK and the IPP in France combine rigorous research with a commitment to communicate the results to media and public. How do they make sure their message cuts through the noise, and how do they safeguard their reputations for independence and authority? Paul Johnson and Antoine Bozio talk to Tim Phillips.

From the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics. What caused inflation in the US, where will it settle, and how much unemployment will be the cost of bringing it back to target? Olivier Blanchard talks to Tim Phillips.

In the first of a series of podcasts recorded at the PSE-CEPR Policy Forum at the Paris School of Economics, Esther Duflo talks to Tim Phillips about how development economics can respond to the challenges of the 21st century, the link between climate justice and corporate taxation, and why development economics is like cooking a ragoût.

Is economics a young person’s game? Great mathematicians tend to peak early, but not great artists – so which category does a professor of economics fall into? Dan Hamermesh has investigated the productivity of economists as they grow old, and he tells Tim Phillips what he discovered. 

Voters fret that immigration overcrowds local schools, overwhelms hospitals, and that they will have to pay higher taxes as a result. Are those fears justified? Anna Maria Mayda and Mine Senses have separated fact from fiction, and they tell Tim Phillips about which US counties benefit most and least from the arrival of immigrants.

Do Europe’s trade sanctions hurt Russia, or do they hurt European firms more? Gauging the impact of sanctions isn’t easy or reliable, but Jean Imbs tells Tim Phillips about a new way to estimate their effects, and what it tells us about the economies of Russia and Europe.

When there are more women in the workplace, that means either more gender diverse teams, or more collaboration between women. There are more female economists now, so how is that reflected in the way researchers collaborate? And what type of teams produce the best results? Anja Prummer talks to Tim Phillips about gender diversity, homophily, and whether she should have chosen a male co-author.