VoxTalks Economics

Whether it’s a return of Covid-19 or another epidemic, we now know much more about the best policies to protect economies while limiting the spread of infection from place to place. Flavio Toxvaerd tells Tim Phillips about new research on what will work next time.

Heat stress from climate change affects the economy, so does it change the cost of issuing debt or the return on equities? Viral Acharya has investigated how this climate risk is priced, and he tells Tim Phillips how it raises the cost of borrowing most for the places and firms that can least afford it.

We know that millions of people get their news from social media, but does Twitter influence what traditional news outlets report as well? Julia Cagé tells Tim Phillips about a new study of 2 billion tweets.

When a man is violent to a woman at work, is the outcome different compared to when a man is the victim? A new study reaches some disturbing conclusions. Abi Adams-Prassl talks to Tim Phillips.

We need a financial system, but does that mean we must also have regular financial crises? Regulation and risk management attempt to eliminate them, but does the cost and effort simply deliver what Jon Danielsson, in his new book, calls The Illusion of Control? He tells Tim Phillips that systemic risk is higher now than it was in 2008.

If we are less equal, is that good or bad news for economic growth? Reto Foellmi reviewed the research, and he has some answers for Tim Phillips. 

The problem of fake firms that issue fake receipts so that clients can claim fraudulent tax deductions is widespread but hard to stop, and it’s costing governments everywhere billions in lost revenues. Dave Donaldson and Dina Pomeranz talk to Tim Phillips about how the tax authority in Ecuador recouped lost revenues.

As intelligent autonomous machines become better at doing all our jobs, will there be enough work and income to go around? If only some of us work, who will that be, and what happens to the rest of us? Anton Korinek talks to Tim Phillips.

During the Covid-19 pandemic governments had to take unpopular measures to restrict our freedoms, and we had to choose whether we did what we were told. Were governments in countries with free media more likely to act – and were their citizens more likely to comply? Tim Besley and Sacha Dray talk to Tim Phillips about their new research.

When pension giant ABP faced protests about its fossil fuel investment strategy, did it choose to exert pressure on oil companies or divest from them? Jeff Wurgler and Dirk Schoenmaker talk to Tim Phillips about how the finance sector can accelerate a green transition.