The effects of vaccine scepticism on public health and the amplifying role of social media: Insights from Italy
The spread of misinformation online poses grave challenges to public health. This column quantifies the impact that vaccine scepticism circulating through social media had on
The energy transition: Technology versus political backlash
The ambition of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to “well below 2°C”. This column argues that while some progress towards this aim
Copyright policy options for generative artificial intelligence
The rise of generative artificial intelligence has triggered a debate about the appropriate protections for copyrighted data. This column examines the economic incentives and social
The world’s rust belts: The heterogeneous employment effects of deindustrialisation
Most industrialised nations have experienced a notable decline in manufacturing employment, sparking concerns over regions being ‘left behind’. Many policies have been proposed to limit
Why history continues to shape racial inequality in the US
Nearly 160 years after the end of slavery, significant disparities persist between Black and white Americans. This column studies the long-run effects of slavery, and
Emissions reduction, fiscal costs, and macro effects: An assessment of IRA climate measures and complementary policies
The Inflation Reduction Act aims to narrow the gap between greenhouse gas mitigation pledges and implementation in the US. This column uses a novel IMF
Political and socioeconomic effects of Reconstruction in the American South
After the American Civil War, Black people in the South were granted new political and civil rights, only for such gains to be reversed within
Climate polarisation and green investment
Climate change is a topic that is especially prone to political polarisation and ‘asymmetric updating’ – the tendency for people to assign more weight to
The long-lasting electoral consequences of regional transfers
As interest in regional industrial policies grows, understanding the impact of place-based programmes on political preferences becomes more important. Indeed, government transfers can have a
Lost in transmission
The verbal transmission of information – through conversations with friends or strangers, via television or podcasts – is an imperfect process, one that often introduces
