VoxTalks Economics

Tom Schwantje, economist at Bocconi who studies management in low-income settings, and Simon Quinn, economist at Imperial College and CEPR focused on organizational behavior, discuss a studio experiment with Ethiopian young professionals. They explore how management traits were measured with recorded vignettes. They describe four distinct managerial styles and reveal which types employers and employees tend to prefer.

Ali Bakhtawar, economist at AMSE who studies political use of anti-corruption courts. Alishuba Philip, University of Zurich researcher on slum redevelopment and evictions in Mumbai. Lucie Giorgi, AMSE economist studying schooling and labour outcomes. They discuss lawfare and judicial incentives in Pakistan. They examine why slum redevelopments often fail residents. They explore how co-education shaped long-term gender wage gaps in France.

Justin Sandefur, director of Coefficient Giving’s growth program and global development researcher. He recounts how sudden US aid cuts shuttered programs and clinics. He discusses which sectors were hardest hit, methods for estimating lives affected, and whether other donors or governments can replace lost capacity. He highlights why implementation systems matter as much as money.

Ugo Panizza, economist and CEPR vice president known for international policy analysis, and Beatrice Weder di Mauro, CEPR president and macroeconomics expert, discuss how Europe should respond to US policies under Trump. They cover trade frictions, security shocks to transatlantic ties, Europe's fragmented response, the push for rapid rearmament, and strategies for procurement, funding and competitiveness.

Julian Ashwin, an economist studying ageing and longevity policy, and Martin Ellison, an Oxford macroeconomist on lifespan effects, discuss how longer lives reshape work, saving and care. They debate rethinking who is considered old, spreading resources over extended lifespans, lifelong learning and career flexibility, and the economic value of enabling older people to keep contributing.

Giancarlo Corsetti, economist at the European University Institute and CEPR known for work on international macro and exchange rates. He discusses the surprising 6% dollar drop after major tariff announcements. He explores how expected tariffs with swift retaliation trigger financial market repricing, link movements in Treasuries, equities and FX, and what that means for dollar dominance and policy.

In this engaging discussion, Richard Baldwin, an economist at IMD Business School and founder of VoxEU, teams up with Princeton's Gene Grossman to dissect the evolving narrative of Trump’s tariffs. Baldwin highlights the shift from rules-based trade to a geopolitical battleground, while Grossman explores legal battles and the rationale behind the tariffs. The duo also tackles the implications of waning US trade leadership and the potential consequences for the WTO, revealing the fragility of the global trade system.

Antonio Fatás, an economist from INSEAD, and Ugo Panizza, a public finance expert at the Graduate Institute, delve into the pressing issue of U.S. debt sustainability. They discuss the staggering current debt levels and rising interest costs, warning of the implications of recent policies like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As they analyze the potential effects of inflation and the challenges of raising revenues through tax increases, they emphasize the urgent need for timely action to prevent future fiscal crises.

Richard Portes, an esteemed economist and founder of the CEPR, dives into the world of multi-issuer stablecoins and their potential risks. He explains how these digital tokens, appealing for their ease of transfer, could threaten financial stability if not properly regulated. Portes reveals the complexities of cross-jurisdiction redemption risks and the implications for European reserves. He discusses the intense lobbying from stablecoin issuers and outlines policy options for regulators, warning that without tighter rules, financial contagion could ensue.

Moritz Schularick, a prominent economist at the Kiel Institute and CEPR, dives into the pressing question of European defense. He discusses the urgency for Europe to rearm and whether it can turn its industrial capacity into effective military deterrence. Schularick emphasizes the need for a unified defense architecture and calls for investment in next-gen technologies like AI and robotics that can benefit the economy. He also highlights the importance of joint procurement and warns against relying on uncertain US support for security.