From Korea to Germany, experiments with socialism show markets always win
A red-hot topic in economics is randomised controlled trials (RCT). Esther Duflo, the MIT academic who has really driven this idea, has surely put herself in pole position for a Nobel Prize at some point. The idea of RCTs has been imported from medicine.One group of people are selected at random to be subject to […]
The demise of Germany’s Social Democrats reflects the challenge for all liberal parties
The German elections on Sunday went pretty much according to the polls. Another victory for Chancellor Merkel. Much of the commentary has focussed on the success of the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party. One of its leading candidates eulogised the German armed forces during the Second World War – a topic even more sensitive […]
Rochdale Hornets End of Season Dinner
I have supported Rochdale Hornets, the Rugby League team of my home town, for many years. I continue to enjoy my association with the team as President, and it was with pleasure I attended the annual Hornets End of Season Dinner on Friday. Pictured with me is Rob Massam, who received the the Top Try Scorer […]
Full employment in Britain has lowered productivity instead of increasing wages
The UK jobs market is booming, as the latest ONS figures show. Unemployment is at its lowest for over 40 years. A record 32.1 million people are in employment, a rise of over 3 million since the financial crisis. Apart from in a few scattered pockets, Britain is at full employment. Usually in such circumstances, […]
Why can’t we confront climate change? Behavioural economics explains
The devastating storms in America have kept the issue of climate change firmly in the public mind. But so far, it has proved very difficult for politicians to persuade electorates to change consumption patterns in ways which many scientists would like to see. More expensive air travel, steeper energy bills – these are not very […]
Anti-capitalists in UK universities need a refresher course in the perils of socialism
The great Harvard economist Joseph Schumpeter, writing in the 1940s, predicted the eventual demise of capitalism. He did not want this to happen. But he envisaged that the “intellectual class” would eventually develop values which were hostile to free markets and private property. Schumpeter’s definition of “intellectuals” was very wide. He meant people in a […]
Neo-Luddites won’t like it, but the UK must keep on (driverless) truckin’
The announcement that experiments will take place with driverless lorries on UK motorways ought to be a cause for celebration. Once again, human ingenuity is pushing out the frontiers of technology. But the general reaction in the media has been one of anxiety and concern. Wholly contradictory arguments have been advanced against them. Driverless cars […]
Incentivise predatory universities with a proportional grade-linked fee structure
The A-level results have come and gone yet again. Underneath all the hype and excitement, we can see the reliable old friend of economists at work. Namely, the impact of incentives. Michael Gove, in his previous Cabinet incarnation as education secretary, decided to restore the meaning of grades in A-level and GCSE exams. Until the […]
Instilling competitive gender quotas could end the Crisis of the Mediocre Men
Gender issues in the workplace are currently a hot topic. First, we had the furore about male and female pay at the BBC. Next, the notorious memo from a Google employee which alleged that women are less biologically suited to be software engineers than men. A paper in the latest American Economic Review (AER) provides […]
Money talks in football, but all incumbents are displaced eventually
The Premier League season opens on Friday against a background of stratospheric transfer deals, with Paris Saint Germain capturing the Barcelona striker Neymar for a world record €222m. With the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009, all the top 10 most expensive player deals ever have taken place […]
