S2 Ep33: Investing in Brexit
As Brexit nears (again), are British firms choosing to invest in the UK or in other European markets? Are European firms investing in the UK to preserve access to its markets? And has "global Britain" got off the drawing board yet? Holger Breinlich and Dennis Novy lead Tim Phillips through the numbers.
25m Aug 16, 2019
25m
S2 Ep32: Social media polarization
When does social media polarize opinion, and when does it bring us closer together? Yves Zenou tells Tim Phillips about a new economic model that shows us how affinity can become division, and why the trolls often win.
14m Aug 09, 2019
14m
S2 Ep31: Learning about ourselves
Despite all the evidence to the contrary we continue to overestimate how much work we will do tomorrow, or how often we will go to the gym. Why? Peter Schwardmann tells Tim Phillips that we do learn from experience about ourselves - in the right circumstances.
12m Aug 02, 2019
12m
S2 Ep30: France's broken social elevator
France has surprisingly low social mobility. OECD chief economist Laurence Boone tells Tim Phillips why this is the case, how the problem fuels the gilets jaunes protests, and what can be done about it.
17m Jul 26, 2019
17m
S2 Ep29: The true cost of emissions cheating
Supposedly 'green' diesel engines with devices to cheat emissions tests have been polluting as much as 150 ordinary cars. Hannes Schwandt tell Tim Phillips about the staggering human cost of VW's fraud.
23m Jul 19, 2019
23m
S2 Ep28: The benefits of starting school early
Children in different countries start school at very different ages. Thomas Cornelissen tells Tim Phillips about new research that suggests an early start may help their development. Check out the research on VoxEU.org (https://voxeu.org/article/benefits-starting-school-early)
18m Jul 12, 2019
18m
S2 Ep27: Italy is a very sick patient
Are Italy's populist policies of miniBOTs and flat taxes the right medicine for its economic sickness? Fabio Ghironi tells Tim Phillips that, if Italy doesn't attempt fundamental structural reforms, it may be on the path to Eurexit.
14m Jul 05, 2019
14m
S2 Ep26: How the G20 can save world trade
As the G20 gather in Japan, Tim Phillips talks to Simon Evenett, one of the authors of the Global Trade Alert (https://www.globaltradealert.org) , on how the ministers can halt the "free for all" on protectionism. Download the 24th Global Trade Alert (https://voxeu.org/article/jaw-jaw-not-war-war-prioritising-wto-reform-options) by visiting VoxEU.org
17m Jun 28, 2019
17m
S2 Ep25: The threat to global prosperity
A new book from the CEPR argues that the current trade war is a long-term danger to all economies, not just those of the US and China. Editor Meredith Crowley of the University of Cambridge and two of the authors tell Tim Phillips why prospects for the world economy are 'grim'. Download The Clash of Economic Systems Endangering Global Prosperity (https://voxeu.org/content/trade-war-clash-econom...
16m Jun 20, 2019
16m
S2 Ep24: What would Ricardo do?
David Ricardo was the first economist to think rigorously about international trade, and his theory of comparative advantage has stood the test of time. So why do so many politicians ignore it? And what would he do about Brexit? Peter Neary of the University of Oxford talks to Tim Phillips.  Image: Thomas Phillips [Public domain]
19m Jun 14, 2019
19m
S2 Ep23: The future of the welfare state
This week UN special rapporteur claimed the UK's social safety net has been "replaced with a harsh and uncaring ethos". Dame Minouche Shafik, director of the LSE, talks to Tim Phillips about whether our welfare states can survive in their current form, and what might replace them. Image: Gerd Altmann
17m Jun 07, 2019
17m
S2 Ep22: The Yrjo Jahnsson award
The award is given to the best European economist under 45. This year, Oriana Bandiera of LSE and Imran Rasul of UCL share the prize. They talk to Tim Phillips about their work, and #whateconomistsreallydo (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23whateconomistsreallydo) .
23m May 31, 2019
23m
S2 Ep21: The cost of kids
Women earn less than men after they start a family. Can better policies close the gap? Camille Landais of LSE tells Tim Phillips about new research comparing six countries.  Read about the research on VoxEU.org (https://voxeu.org/article/child-penalties-across-countries-evidence-and-explanations)
19m May 24, 2019
19m
S2 Ep20: Managing the secret state
Did the KGB manage its informers using the iron fist or the invisible hand? Mark Harrison tells Tim Phillips how the state motivated and disciplined its secret workforce. Read more of Mark's research on the Soviet Union here (https://voxeu.org/article/soviet-economy-1917-1991-its-life-and-afterlife) , here (https://voxeu.org/article/russia-s-national-income-war-and-revolution-1913-1928) , and h...
19m May 17, 2019
19m
S2 Ep19: The end of the WTO?
Who will be the biggest loser in this trade war? Chad Bown tells Tim Phillips why it could be the WTO's dispute resolution system, and why we should worry if this happens.
20m May 10, 2019
20m
S2 Ep18: The lost ones
MariaCristina De Nardi tells Tim Phillips that non-college-educated Americans born in the 1960s are dying younger, earning less, and paying more for healthcare than in their parents' generation.
19m May 03, 2019
19m
S2 Ep17: How art auctions work
What does economics teach us about art auctions? Katy Graddy of Brandeis University tells Tim Phillips what he needs to know before he bids for a painting of some artichokes.
13m Apr 27, 2019
13m
S2 Ep16: The 2018 trade war
Has the trade war with China been good for American businesses and consumers? The first results are in, and David Weinstein tells Tim Phillips who the winners and losers are.
20m Apr 19, 2019
20m
S2 Ep15: Girls, boys and multiple choice
How should multiple choice tests be scored? It seems like a harmless question, but Nagore Iriberri tells Tim Phillips how she discovered that well-intentioned marking schemes may be penalising girls, and what we can do about it.
14m Apr 12, 2019
14m
S2 Ep14: A green monetary policy
We're not short of policies intended to save us from catastrophic climate change, but should monetary policy be part of this effort? Dirk Schoenmaker of Erasmus University thinks so, and he tells Tim Phillips how it would work in practice.
14m Apr 05, 2019
14m
S2 Ep13: RCTs in the long run
Randomised controlled trials have revolutionised development policy. But do the interventions that work in the short run have a benefit 10 or 20 years later? Ted Miguel tells Tim Phillips how he and his colleagues aim to find out.
22m Mar 29, 2019
22m
S2 Ep12: Why are schools segregated?
Our cities are diverse, but often the schools in these cities are less so. Bas van der Klaauw of VU University Amsterdam tells Tim Phillips that not necessarily where we live that creates school segregation.
13m Mar 22, 2019
13m
S2 Ep11: Love, money and parenting
We all want happy, successful kids, so how can economics help? Fabrizio Zilibotti of Yale talks to Tim Phillips about the research that he and his peers have done into parenting and what it tells us. Here's a VoxEU column by Fabrizio (https://voxeu.org/article/economics-parenting) , and here's a link to his book (https://press.princeton.edu/titles/13326.html) .
27m Mar 15, 2019
27m
S2 Ep10: Innovation policy for Europe
The European Community's FRAME project, of which the CEPR has been a partner, recently held its final conference in London. Tim Phillips talked to the attendees about what FRAME's research into innovation tells us, and how it might be translated into policy. Visit FRAME's web site (https://www.h2020frame.eu/frame/home.html) , and read about its research (https://voxeu.org/article/publicly-funde...
19m Mar 08, 2019
19m
S2 Ep9: The Big Data economy
The digital economy makes it possible for data-savvy firms to grow very large, very quickly. Laura Veldkamp of Columbia Business School tells Tim Phillips about her new project to model the Big Data economy.
11m Mar 01, 2019
11m
S2 Ep8: Gender bias in mathematics
Why do girls do less well than boys in school math tests? Paola Giuliano of UCLA explains to Tim Phillips that, for many girls, the problem starts at home.
16m Feb 22, 2019
16m
S2 Ep7: A history of international finance
A new data set compiles the history of international finance spanning a century and a half, revealing new information about globalisation, crises and capital flows. Rui Esteves of the Graduate Institute, Geneva, tells Tim Phillips what lessons it offers for policymakers today.
18m Feb 15, 2019
18m
S2 Ep6: Legal cannabis and the black economy
On 17 October 2018, Canada legalised recreational cannabis use, with an immediate effect on how Canadian people use cash. Jonathan Ashworth explains to Tim Phillips how legalisation crimps the black economy. Read our VoxEU column (https://voxeu.org/article/canadian-legalisation-cannabis-reduces-both-cash-usage-and-black-economy) on the topic.
12m Feb 08, 2019
12m
S2 Ep5: The end of globalisation?
Trade growth is slowing down. But is it, as the media and populist politicians claim, the end of globalisation? Kevin O'Rourke tells Tim Phillips how economic history can answer the question, and what we can learn from the history of global trade.
17m Feb 01, 2019
17m
S2 Ep4: Work in transition, part 2
In our second podcast on the The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's report on Work in Transition (https://www.ebrd.com/news/publications/transition-report/transition-report-201819.html) , Tim Phillips talks to Nate Young about how the growth of large cities in EBRD regions affects economic growth and wellbeing. Picture copyright: EBRD.
16m Jan 25, 2019
16m
S2 Ep3: Work in transition, part 1
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has published a report that investigates how work is changing in Europe and Asia's transition economies. Tim Phillips talks to the Bank's chief economist, Sergei Guriev, about who is working, how, and where. Picture copyright: EBRD.
19m Jan 18, 2019
19m
S2 Ep2: Why we vote for protectionism
It blows the minds of economists when voters choose protectionist policies that, they point out, make most of them poorer. Gene Grossman tells Tim Phillips how trade models can explain this, if they incorporate insights from other social sciences.
10m Jan 11, 2019
10m
S2 Ep1: The half-life of injustice
If our wealth has been acquired unjustly in the past, does that injustice fade or persist? David Miles of Imperial College tells Tim Phillips how economics can help to answer this question. Read more about David's work on injustice (https://voxeu.org/content/what-half-life-economic-injustice) .
22m Jan 04, 2019
22m
S1 Ep29: Superstar economists
We usually measure the effectiveness of economists by how many papers they publish, or how many citations they get. But a new measure takes into account their influence on the work of their colleagues as well. Michael König explains to Tim Phillips how this works, and who gets to be number one. Read more about the research on VoxEU.org (https://voxeu.org/article/using-co-authorship-networks-im...
12m Dec 28, 2018
12m
S1 Ep28: Regulating cyber risk
How should banks and their regulators manage cyber risk? A new discussion paper from the CEPR sets out six principles from an economist's point of view. Anil Kashyap of the University of Chicago and Anne Wetherilt of the Bank of England tell Tim Phillips what they are recommending.
10m Dec 21, 2018
10m
S1 Ep27: The end of men
Women with college degrees are becoming more likely to get good jobs, but for college-educated men, the opposite is true. Henry Siu of the University of British Columbia tells Tim Phillips that the demand for social skills may explain the trend.
15m Dec 14, 2018
15m
S1 Ep26: Short-time work
Even though countries all over the developed world implemented short-time work policies during the great recession, we didn't know whether they worked. Now we do: Camille Landais and Giulia Giupponi of the London School of Economics tell Tim Phillips whether short-time work protects workers, firms or economies.
13m Dec 07, 2018
13m
S1 Ep25: Does prison work?
We are sending more people to prison than ever. But we know surprisingly little about whether, and how, prison sentences cut crime. Gordon Dahl of USC San Diego tells Tim Phillips about new research that shows how prison sentences can work for both inmates and society.
16m Nov 30, 2018
16m
S1 Ep24: Connecting to power
Firms like to be politically connected, because it makes it easier for them to do business. But is it good for the rest of us? Ufuk Akcigit of the University of Chicago tells Tim Phillips about the consequences of connecting to power. Read about Ufuk's other work on business taxation (https://voxeu.org/article/taxation-and-innovation-20th-century) , innovation (https://voxeu.org/article/immigr...
19m Nov 23, 2018
19m
S1 Ep23: The world needs more migrants
In the developed world borders are being closed and popular resistance to immigration is rising. Yet Lant Pritchett of Harvard University tells Tim Phillips that the rate of migration from poor to rich countries is actually five times too low. Planned mass migration of unskilled labour, he argues, would make everyone better off. Read more about Lant's views on labour mobility on VoxEU (https:/...
19m Nov 16, 2018
19m
S1 Ep22: The economics of the Great War
This weekend marks 100 years since the end of World War 1. But is the history of the war that we learn at school the whole story? The 20 essays in a new VoxEU ebook on the economic history of the war challenge the conventional wisdom about how the war started, why it was won and lost, and its consequences. Tim Phillips talks to Mark Harrison of the University of Warwick, one of the book’s edit...
20m Nov 09, 2018
20m
S1 Ep21: The rise of superstar firms
Firms are becoming more unequal in every country and sector. Is the rise of a few superstar firms good or bad the economy, and should we do anything about it? Tim Phillips asks John Van Reenen of MIT to be policymaker for a day. More coverage of superstar firms from voxeu.org here (https://voxeu.org/article/role-intangible-capital-explaining-superstar-firms) , here (https://voxeu.org/content/d...
16m Nov 02, 2018
16m
S1 Ep20: Why education reduces crime
We know that increasing the school leaving age cuts crime, but why? Is it because kids who are most likely to commit crimes are learning things that make them more employable, or is just because they're off the streets? Tim Phillips talks to Steve Machin of the LSE about new research into the importance of these effects. Read about the research at VoxEU.org (https://voxeu.org/article/why-educa...
12m Oct 26, 2018
12m
S1 Ep19: The making of modern London
What accounts for London's explosive growth in the 19th and early 20th centuries? Tim Phillips talks to Stephen Redding of Princeton University about new research that shows how important the railways have been, and continue to be, in creating the modern metropolis. Read about the research on VoxEU.org (https://voxeu.org/article/making-modern-metropolis-evidence-london)
21m Oct 19, 2018
21m
S1 Ep18: The next recession will be a bad one
In the US, unemployment is at its lowest point for two decades. Wage growth is rising, the economy is growing. Tim Phillips asks Jeffrey Frankel of Harvard University why he worries about the depth of the next recession. Read Jeffrey's blog on VoxEU.org (https://voxeu.org/content/next-recession-could-be-bad-one) .
16m Oct 12, 2018
16m
S1 Ep17: Women and monetary policy
It's no secret that women have been under-represented in the boardroom in general, and central bank boards are no different. We also know that firms in which women are decision-makers tend to behave differently. Tim Phillips talks to Paola Profeta, one of the authors of a new paper that finds that female central bankers have a measurable effect on monetary policy. Find out more about her resea...
11m Oct 05, 2018
11m
S1 Ep16: The impact of innovation
The FRAME Project was set up to find out the impact of innovation on macroeconomic outcomes such as productivity, job creation, and unemployment. Diego Comin of Dartmouth College is one of the leaders of the project, and he talks to Tim Phillips about what he and his colleagues have learned. CEPR is a partner of the FRAME Project, which is co-ordinated by ZEW. The CEPR team is led by Diego Com...
17m Sep 28, 2018
17m
S1 Ep15: The missing profits of nations
Every year multinational companies reduce their tax bills by about $200 billion simply by shifting profits, legally, to tax havens. Governments criticise tax loopholes and promise to close them. But at the same time they also use them to attract these paper profits to their jurisdiction. Thomas Tørsløv and Ludvig Weir talk to Tim Phillips about where the missing profits of nations go, the effec...
19m Sep 21, 2018
19m
S1 Ep14: English in Europe
English is the most widely-spoken language in Europe, but after Brexit it will cease to be an official language of the EU. Tim Phillips speaks to Shlomo Weber about which languages will become more important as a result, and the long-term implications for the English language — and the people who speak it. Read more about the fate of English in Europe in the column on VoxEU (https://voxeu.org/...
10m Sep 14, 2018
10m
S1 Ep13: IMF reform: An unfinished agenda
Two decades ago the four authors of the CEPR's first Geneva Report on the World Economy examined the future of the IMF. This year, for the 20th report, they returned to see what progress has been made. Tim Phillips talks to Barry Eichengreen, Charles Wyplosz, José De Gregorio, and Takatoshi Ito about how the IMF has evolved, and the threats both to the IMF and the entire multilateral financial ...
29m Sep 07, 2018
29m