IFN in the Press

Mathieu Bédard, Montreal Economic Institute, argues in Montreal Gazette that Montreal should not extend its rent control regulations. "Thankfully, Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitão has said he’s not interested in interfering with the market". Bédard quotes Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University, saying that “Next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.”

Tom Ciccotta in Breitbart refers to research by Daniel Waldenström, IFN, and Olle Hammar of Uppsala University: "[...] suggests that global inequality has declined, primarily during the 2000s". Ciccotta notes that "according to the research, the main driver behind the inequality fall of the 2000s was the global income convergence between developed and developing countries".

St. John's Telegram writes about findings by Johanna Rickne, Stockholms University and affiliated to IFN, et al. The researchers: “Our main finding is that gender quotas increase the competence of the political class in general, and among men in particular. Moreover, quotas are indeed bad news for mediocre male leaders who tend to be forced out."

The European media plattform Euractiv writes about a seminar organised in Brussels by Sweden’s Permanent Representation to the EU in cooperation with Lars Oxelheim, Lund University and IFN. A panel of experts discussed how lack of trust has economic and social consequences.

David Cesarini, NYU and affiliated to IFN, is part of a research team "that has uncovered novel genes and new biological routes for intelligence. The findings, reported in the latest issue of the journal Nature Genetics, signify a major advance in understanding the genetic underpinnings of intelligence".

Inside Investor Relations notes that the number of small cap IPOs has signfiicantly dropped. The magazine refers to research by Alexander Ljungqvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN, et al: "Small-cap IPOs have particularly fallen in numbers over the last two decades".

Harvard Business School  Working Knowledge quotes research by Alexander Ljungqvist, NYU and affiliated to IFN, el al when writing about "that some patent application examiners are tougher than others when it comes to granting patents". The titel of the study is " What is a Patent Worth? Evidence from the U.S. Patent ‘Lottery.’"

At Voxeu.org (Centre for Economic Policy Research, CEPR's policy portal) Johanna Rickne, Stockholm University and affiliated to IFN, and more argue that democracy in Sweden has created government by competent people who are representative of all walks of life. Sweden’s inclusive meritocracy suggests that electoral democracy can help us avoid the tension between representation and competence.

In an editorial text about Toronto's housing bubble The Globe and Mail writes: "Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] once famously described rent control as 'next to bombing, the most efficient technique known for destroying cities.' He was exaggerating, slightly."

In regards to President Donald Trump's plans to reform the US tax system, San Antonio Express-News, refers to research by Daniel Waldenström, IFN: "Focusing on large, progressivity-reducing tax reforms in the 1980s and 1990s, we can show that they had a positive, increasing effect on top income shares in all the countries we studied."

Raw Story writes about how to best measure the economic activity of a country. The writer argues that it is a question of capital vs. labor. He refers to research by Erik Bengtsson and Daniel Waldenström (IFN) which includes more countries than the French economist Piketty’s original analysis. 

Practitioners of economics tend to agree that rent control is a thoroughly awful idea, The Globe and Mail argues. The Candian paper refers to "Sweden’s Assar Lindbeck famously said that 'In many cases, rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city – except for bombing.'”

Enrico Rubolino and Daniel Waldenström, IFN, are quoted at Before its News from an articles published at VoxEU, about tax reforms and top incomes: "Our findings suggest that tax progressivity changes influence pre-tax income inequality."

Gary Galles, Mises Institute, writes about special interests in politics, mentioning rent control: "It is true that rent control would benefit many current renters [...] But coming at the expense of property owners, it would progressively reduce the supply of rental housing over time." Galles quotes Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University saying that “next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.”

Financial Post's economic reporter Garry Marr writes about renewed calls for rent control in Ontario. CIBC deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal is quoting Assar Lindbeck, IFN, saying that “in many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city — except for bombing.”

Toronto Sun writes that "Some bad ideas simply refuse to die. One of them is rent control". The paper is quoting Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University, saying that “rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city — except for bombing.”

The 2017 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research goes to Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy (ILD), in Lima, Peru. The Global Award is the most prominent international award in entrepreneurship research with a prize sum of € 100,000. IFN is one of the founders of the award.

In a blog post Diane Coyle writes about "an interesting new book, Digitalization, Immigration and the Welfare State, by Marten Blix of Sweden’s Research Institute of Industrial Economics. It brings together two deep trends, technology and immigration, in the context of the relatively rigid labour market structures of Sweden and some other European countries."

Based at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Journalist's Resource writes about legalization of prostitution. The writer refers to a 2013 working paper for IFN that "argues that the legalization of prostitution without regulation can encourage the spread of sex trafficking". The paper i authored by Samuel Lee and Petra Persson. The latter is affiliated to IFN).

Christian Sandström, Ratio, writes on the web page of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy (FCPP), a Canadian think tank, about "The revival of Swedish Liberalism". The text is based on a study by Magnus Henreksson and Andreas Bergh, IFN. 

Cherwell, an student newspaper of Oxford University, writes that "despite 'scruffy' appearance, left-wing scholars are more attractive than well-groomed right-winger counterparts, psychologists say". The writer argues against a study by Niclas Berggren, IFN, and more suggesting that "attractiveness of political candidates correlated with their politics, with right-wingers supposedly found more attractive that their left counterparts".

Bloomberg is writing about the proposed bank tax stating that "the Swedish Competition Authority is warning the government that a proposed 15 percent tax on payrolls risks putting banks and insurers at a competitive disadvantage compared with their peers outside Sweden." Magnus Henrekson, IFN, is quoted saying that “If there’s extreme pressure from the consultative bodies so they can show that this will create big problems,” then the government “may not do it.”

Sweden climbed to second place in the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index, Swedish Wire notes, quoting Magnus Henrekson, IFN: "Fresh ideas tend to pay off big in Sweden, even as the current government is less business-friendly and has imposed labor taxes that could crimp business investment."

Arabs Today and Morocco World News features a story based on the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index, referring to (Bloomberg) Magnus Henrekson, IFN. Henrekson “stated that despite the labor taxes imposed by the current government in Sweden, which may have negative effects on investments, the Swedish people share a culture of personal ambition.”

Ireland drops a place [Bloomberg Index] as Nordic nations dominate the top 15 most innovative countires, states Irish Times quoting Magnus Henrekson, IFN: "Fresh ideas tend to pay off big in Sweden, even as the current government is less business-friendly and has imposed labor taxes that could crimp business investment".

"Nordic nations dominate the top 15, while South Korea reigns supreme and Russia is dealt a huge blow" Bloomberg writes about the 2017 Bloomberg Innovation Index, which scores economies using factors including research and development spending. Magnus Henrekson, IFN, is being interviewed, arguing that Swedes "are super individualistic", "have ideas and are very interested in pursuing them in this way in order to become wealthy”.

In accordance with a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara, The Atlantic reports that "Conservative politicians are better looking than liberal politicians on average in the United States, Europe, and Australia—and that might create an overall advantage for conservative parties".

Australian and World News writes about a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara: "Led by Sweden's Research Institute of Industrial Economics, researchers examined the link between attractiveness and the political beliefs of those running for office."

Mail Oneline sum up a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara: Researchers looked at politicians in Europe, the US and Australia – Their result suggest people tend to see right-wing politicians as better looking – The researchers say that being better looking tends to make you richer, and richer people are typically more opposed to policies favoured by the left.

Wonkblog Washington Post writes about a study by Niclas Berggren, Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara, concluding that "the attractiveness of a candidate does correlate with their politics. They find that politicians on the right are more good looking in Europe, the United States and Australia".

Steve Denning, Forbes, is arguing that "there is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer". Denning refers to research by Alexander Ljungqvist (affiliated to IFN), Joan Farre-Mensa, and John Asker, calling their study "brilliant". The study compared the investment patterns of public companies and privately held firms.

Two new studies suggest women pay a steep price for pursuing careers, Slate magazine writes. IFN researchers Olle Folke and Johanna Rickne, "have convincingly shown that female career progression is harmful to marriages there". Slate asks: "If even in Sweden men can’t abide by their spouse’s ambitions, what hope is there for the rest of us?"

Daniel Waldenström, IFN and visiting professor at the Paris School of Economics, is being interviewed in World Politics Review. The topic is inequality in Sweden and the fact that eventough Sweden has one of the lowest rates of inequality in the world, "it is experiencing a wave of anti-etablishment nationalism [...] by a backlash against immigration."

Forbes is calling François Fillon (who has secured the French Republican Party Presidential nomination) a "free market champion". In regards to wealth taxes Forbes cites research by David Seim, affiliated to IFN: "Seim found that Sweden’s wealth tax, which was abolished in 2007, also spurred significant tax evasion and capital flight."

It is true that people are not just reading and listening, they are looking, The Huffington Post states when commenting on the US presidential election. A study by Niclas Berggren and Henrik Jordahl, IFN, and Panu Poutvaara is quoted saying that "attractiveness is more highly linked with electoral success than either trustworthiness or perceived competence".

Too few refugees, not too many, are working in Europe, The Economist states. Adding that "fears are mounting about the social impact of the two-tier labour market that is developing". The magazine has interviewed Magnus Henrekson, IFN. He "fears further ghettoisation and alienation".

In the ValueWalk Michael Edesess asks if "the Nobel Prize in economics been a cause of the global economic woes of the last 20 years", Stating that the book The Nobel Factor: The Prize in Economics, Social Democracy, and the Market Turn, "makes a good case that it has". Edesses refers to Assar Lindbeck, IFN, as having helped to establish the prize.

Hideo Hayakawa, Fujitsu Research Institute, writes that "Japan seems to be a long way from achieving its 2 per cent inflation target". When explaining slow wage increase Hayakawa refers to Assar Lindbeck, IFN, who introduced the insider–outsider theory in labour economics.

When writing about private equity The Economist refers to a paper by Alexander Ljungqvist, Lars Persson, Joacim Tåg, IFN, “Private Equity’s Unintended Dark Side: on the Economic Consequences of Excessive Delistings”: "As companies shift from being owned by public shareholders to private-equity funds, direct individual exposure to corporate profits is lost."

In a review of the book The Nobel Factor: The Prize in Economics, Social Democracy, and the Market Turn, by Avner Offer and Gabriel Söderberg, Siddharth Singh writes: "There’s something about the appeal of data to economists who are attracted to social democracy. The wretched condition of the poor, [...]. Who in her right mind will deny these facts? If only economists were to theorise keeping in mind these facts, then maybe, just maybe, the world will be a better place."

Avner Offer is co-author (with Gabriel Söderberg) of The Nobel Factor: The Prize in Economics, Social Democracy, and the Market Turn (Princeton University Press, 2016) and writes about the Nobel prize in an article published in a number of papers: "Many economists have responded to the failure of their discipline’s core premises by retreating into empirical investigation. But the resulting validity comes at the cost of generality: randomized controlled trials in the form of local experiments cannot replace an overarching vision of the social good. A good way to begin acknowledging this would be to select Nobel Prize recipients accordingly."

Irish Economy writes about The Nobel Factor, a new book that traces the development of the Nobel Prize in economics: Assar Lindbeck, IFN, is mentioned: "There’s a great chapter focusing on Assar Lindbeck, a forceful personality and someone who shaped the Prize".

Avner Offer, the co-author of The Nobel Factor is interviewed in The Atlantic. Among other things he refers to a conversation with Assar Lindbeck, IFN: "With regard to Galbraith, I actually discussed this with the long-standing chairman of the prize, Assar Lindbeck, and he said that he regarded Galbraith as a belletrist, a writer of essays. I actually beg to differ."

"The sense of trust is so high in Scandinavia that to some researchers it seems to be the most mysterious and potentially important factor of all for explaining why Scandinavians lead the world in considering themselves prosperous" writes Daily Scandinavian. Andreas Bergh, IFN, is interviewd: “The honest answer is we don’t know where trust comes from.”

How did the Nobel Prize in Economics come about? This question is asked by Bloomberg View: "Åsbrink asked the Nobel question of a young economic adviser, Assar Lindbeck [IFN], and Lindbeck’s response was that yes, a Nobel economics prize could work. Then Lindbeck set out to make it happen."

"There is lots of evidence that discrimination still exists [in the corporate world]" writes Noah Smith, Bloomberg view. He refers to "evidence has multiplied. In 2013, economists Fredrik Heyman [IFN], Helena Svaleryd, and Jonas Vlachos [affiliated to IFN] found that companies that get bought out in a takeover tend to increase their percentages of female employees".

Foreign Affairs, New Zeeland, published a text about South Africa. A statement by the Republic of South Africa was used as source: "Institutions also play a key role in our inflation process. An important argument in academic literature, specifically by Lars Calmfors [IFN] and John Driffill, connects unemployment to the kinds of collective bargaining rules used in a country.6 The basic idea is that a country can achieve better employment outcomes when costs take into account firm-level productivity or are guided at a very high, macroeconomic level."

Chris Farrell writes about retirement age in Forbes and Next Avenue. He quotes Gabriel Heller Sahlgren, London School of Economics and affiliated to IFN,  saying that “continuing some form of paid work in old age is one way to ensure a healthier population”. 

In an article by Nima Sanandaji at Policy Bazaar (Indian portal), about what Americans can and can not learn from the Nordic countries, Daniel Waldenström, IFN, is quoted: Swedish economists Jesper Roine and Daniel Waldenström, for example, explain that “most of a diminution [in income inequality in Sweden] takes place before a enlargement of a gratification state and by 1950 Swedish tip income shares were already revoke than in other countries.”

Wisconsin Public Radio News has interviewed Diana O'Brien about a study, "Gender Quotas and Women's Political Leadership", by O'Brien and Johanna Rickne, IFN. The researchers have looked at 15 years of data on local leadership appointments within the Social Democratic Party. "What we found time and time again is once you tell political parties or corporate boards that they need to find qualified women, then they do so," said O'Brien.