The impact of wealth inequality on economic growth: Evidence from Italy during its structural transformation
Economic equality and growth are important policy objectives, but the relationship between the two aims is complex. This column examines how the distribution of land
No solid scientific basis for degrowth
In the last decade, many publications have appeared on degrowth as a strategy to confront environmental and social problems. This column reviews their content, data,
Much money, little capital, and few reforms: The 2023 banking turmoil
The events of March 2023 in the US and Switzerland showed, once again, that banking systems remain fragile. The latest Geneva Report on the World
Demographic change: Individual blessing, but headwinds for European growth
Developed countries are ageing fast. Although longer and healthier lives imply huge welfare gains for individuals, the effects on economic growth have been elusive. This
The economics of organisational strategy
Many of today’s global problems, such as sustainability, technology, skills, and diversity can only be solved by organisations. This column argues that more work is
Religion matters for economic growth through various channels
Though social scientists have long questioned how religion affects economic growth, a lack of accessible data hindered their efforts. Recently, advances in computing, novel econometric
Online versus in-person services: Effects on patients and providers
Switching the delivery of one-to-one services from in-person to online offers potential cost savings and increased convenience, but what are the impacts on providers and
Exchange rate models are better than you think, and why they didn’t work in the old days
It is generally believed that standard macroeconomic models of foreign exchange rates do not fit the data well. However, this column argues that a model
Public investment: The orphan of politics
If constrained by EU rules, fiscal policymakers will cut or postpone public investment. This seemingly obvious point came up regularly in the policy debate around
The urban wage premium for women: Evidence across the wage distribution
The urban wage premium – the positive wage differential between more and less dense geographic areas – is rarely estimated separately for men and women.
