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China's growth as an economic superpower has been based in a large part on its increasing ability to design and manufacture sophisticated, hi-tech goods. But, until recently, it was far from a superpower when it came to creating new knowledge and cutting-edge academic research. Luc Laeven of the ECB and CEPR and his co-authors recently published an analysis of the research output in top journals from Chinese academics over the last two decades, and the results are startling: in many areas of science, China is now clearly the world leader. Luc talks to Tim Phillips about how China's plan was created, why the quality as well as the quantity of research should make us take notice, and whether research establishments in Europe and the US can learn from China's single-minded pursuit of success.
The Reducing Conflict and Improving Performance in the Economy (ReCIPE) programme was established in April 2024 as a CEPR research initiative to provide a better understanding of the links between conflict, economic growth, and public policies. One of its themes is the link between conflict and hate speech, social media use, media bias, and propaganda. We need to know more about how media has influenced violence, xenophobia, and recruitment for armed groups. Also, how we can use media sentiment to predict a rise in the risk of violence. Maria Petrova of the Barcelona School of Economics and Augustin Tapsoba of the Toulouse School of Economics are the theme leaders. They spoke to Tim Phillips about the challenges of researching the impact of media, especially social media, on conflict, and what recent research has discovered.
Does economic growth inspire us to trust our governments? A new paper finds a surprisingly strong and consistent relationship between trust and economic growth – not for this quarter, or this year, but over our lifetimes. Tim Besley of the London School of Economics tells Tim Phillips how we can measure trust in a government around the world, and the strong and consistent relationship between long-run growth and trust.
The tech titans' grip on markets may be loosening—what’s next for investors? Hosted by Michelle Martin, this episode welcomes Tim Phillips, Founder of TimTalksMoney, to unpack the underperformance of the 'Magnificent Seven' and whether a turning point is near. We explore smarter ETF diversification beyond the S&P 500, the strategic edge of global indices, and how to navigate softer T-bill rates. Plus, a close look at big bank earnings and why DBS might still have room to run. Is it time to rebalance your portfolio, trim tech, and lean into global growth? Companies featured: Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Alibaba, DBS, Berkshire Hathaway, Coinbase, Constellation Brands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As aid programs are cut across the developing world, the focus falls on what investors can do to help create economic growth. Someone who knows all about impact investing is Yonas Alemu, the founder of Lovegrass Ethiopia, which creates products from teff, a gluten- free grain that's native to Ethiopia and sells them across the world. Yonas abandoned a successful career in investment banking in London to create a business in the country of his birth. He spoke to Tim Phillips about how entrepreneurship can stimulate positive change across Africa and how negative stereotypes of Africa's dependency on aid discourage investment. Read the full show notes: https://voxdev.org/topic/firms/building-business-roots-yonas-alemus-journey-ethiopian-entrepreneur Discover more about Lovegrass Ethiopia's products and history: https://thelovegrass.com/
Millions of people around the world have no access to sanitation. They defecate in the open, or in facilities where it's hard to avoid human contact, unavoidably spreading disease. One of the Sustainable Development Goals that you don't hear about so much is the call to end open defecation by 2030. What progress are we making, and what health improvements are we seeing so far? In the latest of our episodes based on J-PAL's policy insights, Karen Macours of the Paris School of Economics, also co-chair of J-PAL's Health Sector, tells Tim Phillips about how we can achieve this development goal, why it's not a quick fix, and the surprising results of research into the health benefits of improving sanitation. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/health/improving-sanitation-what-works-and-what-doesnt Read the Policy Insight on J-PAL: https://www.povertyactionlab.org/policy-insight/improving-sanitation-access-subsidies-loans-and-community-led-programs
With the major geopolitical powers squaring up to each other, tariffs on trade and political turmoil, is it time for economics to focus more on the consequences for the world economy of great power rivalry? A new paper defines the emerging field of geoeconomics, reviews the existing research, and sets out an agenda to fill the gaps in what we know. Christoph Trebesch of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy & Cathrin Mohr of Bonn University talk to Tim Phillips about how economists can collaborate with other disciplines to find fresh insights in this under-researched discipline. Download CEPR discussion paper 19856, Geoeconomics https://cepr.org/publications/dp19856
This week on End Credits, things get spooky! That's a weird thing to say when summer is almost here, but in today's episode we'll confirm that Summer Movie Season is definitely here, and we will talk about what you can expect in some of the weeks to come. After that, we get into the spooky stuff with a ghost story from someone we recently talked about on this show. This Wednesday, April 30, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss: Summer Movie Preview Part 1. This is the last show for April, on the last day of April, and you know what that means... It's Summer Movie Season! This requires a preview, and in our endless quest for completism, we will keep doing this until we get through all the movies that are coming out this summer starting with what's being released between now and the first week of June including good guys, bad guys and something weird. Presence (2025). We've already done one Steven Soderbergh movie this year, Black Bag, but did you know that two Soderbergh movies have been released - so far - this year? The other one is now available on VOD, and it's called Presence. It's a ghost story, but it's from the ghost's point of view, watching the strange dynamics of this family that moved into a new house and struggle with all their internal drama including Chloe, the one member who senses... The Presence. We will talk about why you shouldn't ghost on Presence. End Credits is on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca Wednesday at 3 pm.
Getting accepted to an elite PhD programme with a superstar advisor seems like “making it” if you want a research career in economics. But is it? How productive will those young, talented economists become? Half of elite economics PhDs from programmes at MIT, Harvard, Stanford and similar institutions publish next to nothing in the six years after they get their doctorate, and only 10% publish more than a paper or two. Josh Angrist of MIT & Marc Diederichs, University of Passau have studied what they call the economics PhD education production function at elite universities in the US. Tim Phillips asks them how, if these elite programmes are designed to create scholars who go on to publish their research consistently, can the institutions or their advisors do a better job of helping that to happen? Read about the research on VoxEU https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/prolific-phd-advisors-are-no-guarantee-graduate-student-research-success
A large proportion of economic activity takes place in the informal sector in every country, particularly in LMICs. Informality, and the lack of rights and protection that goes with it, affects the families who live in slums, the people who take off-the-books jobs, and the firms that choose to skirt regulations. It also affects the governments who want to increase the size of the formal sector – and the revenue they can collect from it. Gabriel Ulyssea of UCL and Mariaflavia Harari of the University of Pennsylvania are two of the editors of new VoxDevLit that examines what we know about the size of the informal sector and how it operates. They talk to Tim Phillips about the grey areas between formal and informal, and the limitations of policies that try to increase the size of the formal economy. Read the VoxDevLit here: https://voxdev.org/voxdevlit/informality
What gives a life meaning? Is it about health, friends, family or something else? Do rich people have more meaningful lives than poor people? Do we find meaning in success or problems and failures too? During the Great Depression, the US Government Federal Writers' Project dispatched a team of writers across the US with a simple brief: talk to people about their lives. The archive that they created, called American Life Histories, tells us what thousands of people across the US found meaningful in their lives. A new project uses artificial intelligence to discover what these documents reveal about the meaning of life. David Lagakos of Boston University, and Hans-Joachim Voth of the University of Zurich are two of the authors. They talk to Tim Phillips about what they discovered, and the message for those of us who seek meaning in our lives today. Read the Discussion Paper https://cepr.org/publications/dp19885 American Life histories at the Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/federal-writers-project/about-this-collection/
In 1981, 44% of the world's population were living in extreme poverty. By 2019, that number had fallen to 9%. This seems like a good news story, but how did it happen? Tom Vogl of UC San Diego is one of the authors of a paper called simply, “How Poverty Fell”. In it, they use surveys to track the progress out of poverty of individuals and generations, to discover whether this progress has been driven by individuals and families becoming less poor over their lives or by successive generations who are less likely to be born into poverty. Has the progress been driven by women in the workplace, by government support, or by the move out of agriculture? And, significantly, do those who move out of poverty stay in that position or, is it, as Tom tells Tim Phillips, “Like climbing a slippery slope”? Read the full show notes here: https://voxdev.org/topic/methods-measurement/how-has-global-poverty-fallen Read the paper: https://econweb.ucsd.edu/~pniehaus/papers/how_poverty_fell.pdf
Is buy-and-hold still the golden rule - or is it time to rethink the playbook? Join Michelle Martin as she unpacks Trump’s stop-start tariff shocks and what they mean for SNP 500 ETF investors Michelle invites Tim Phillips, Founder of TimTalksMoney to discuss whether S&P 500 ETFs still hold strong in a volatile, retaliatory trade war landscape. Hear insights on global diversification, sectoral plays, and thematic ETF strategies. Plus - Tim shares a suggestion on smart strategic ETF approaches given the tariff fallout. Amidst expectations that travel is likely to take a hit with an uncertain market outlook, the airmile maestro also shares how not to waste your hard-earned miles.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
President Trump, aided by DOGE under Elon Musk, promised deep cuts to the US federal bureaucracy. In these cases, and many others in recent history, populist politicians complain about a bloated and unelected “administrative state” that they inherit from a previous regime. They say these public employees frustrate their ability to deliver on their promises. Others argue that a bureaucracy contains the experts that are needed to make policy function smoothly – and removing them will make government function less, not more, efficiently. So how do populists typically deal with their bureaucrats, and what are the consequences? An analysis of Italian local politics that was published recently might help us to understand what is happening in the US now, and what might happen next. Matia Vannoni of King's College London was one of the authors. He talks to Tim Phillips about what happens when we expel the experts. Read Matia's research on VoxEU (https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/expelling-experts-cost-populism-bureaucratic-expertise-and-government-performance) Photo: Gage Skidmore
Utah Congressman Mike Kennedy highlights the importance of healthier school lunches through his Healthy Lunch for Healthy Kids act and the recent decision in Utah to eliminate fluoride from the water supply. Additional interviews with former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer and Tim Phillips, the director of Government Affairs and Global Strategies at Nestpoint. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Graduation approach to helping people to escape from poverty was pioneered in 2002 by BRAC in Bangladesh. Today the approach is used around the world. In more than 20 years, what have we learned about how it works, when it works best, and how to implement it at scale? Shameran Abed, the Executive Director of BRAC International talks to Tim Phillips about how the Graduation approach reaches people that other programmes miss, why it works, and how it can be scaled up to meet needs around the world. Read the full show notes The BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative
The Sermon from the installation service for Tim Phillips. Help us to make Reformed resources available online: https://providencearp.breezechms.com/give/online
On April 6, 2025 we installed Pastor Tim Phillips as our Associate Pastor for church planting. Tim is committed to working with our core group to plant a new Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Raeford, NC. This clip contains the prayer for the new pastor from Pastor Brian Howard and the charge to the new pastor from Pastor Andy Webb.If you would like to support this work, you can donate here: https://providencearp.breezechms.com/give/online
Central banks play a crucial role in modern economies, managing money supply, setting interest rates, and ensuring financial stability. But their relationship with governments, particularly their role as financial agents of the state, creates potential risks that could threaten economic stability. Does the way central banks are structured and operate obscure the true fiscal health of the state, and pose risks for the wider economy? That's what Willem Buiter – former Chief Economist at Citigroup, former member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, among many other things – claims. In conversation with Tim Phillips, he sets out six challenges that central banks may face in the future and explains what central bankers can do about them. The discussion paper is here.
Multinational enterprises in every industry are shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions. These corporate tax havens reduce tax revenues everywhere, but that hits hardest in developing countries where corporate taxes are a larger part of the overall tax take. The International Growth Centre has published a policy toolkit report into corporate tax havens. Ludvig Wier, the author, explains to Tim Phillips how profit shifting works, how a global initiative is reducing the allure of tax havens, and how AI might level the playing field for overstretched developing country tax offices. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/public-economics/profit-shifting-global-challenge-hitting-developing-countries-hardest IGC Policy Toolkit: Corporate tax havens and their impact on development
Do you and your boss see the world in the same way and how does that affect your performance at work? You might not agree with your boss about everything. But if you and your boss don't have the same outlook, does this mean you will be less productive? Alexia Delfino of Bocconi University measured both the values and the performance of employees at a global bank. She tells Tim Phillips whether shared values mean better outcomes – and what this means for diversity and team building.
A fundamental part of women's economic empowerment is helping women who want to work outside the home to find and keep a job. A major part of that decision is ensuring that they can travel to work without fear of stigma, harassment or violence on public transport. In Pakistan, a study set out to discover whether an offer of safe commuter transport would tempt women who are currently not looking for a job. Kate Vyborny of the World Bank spoke to Tim Phillips from Lahore, where the study took place, about the challenges women face in commuting to work and about how safe transport can change career opportunities for millions of women. Photo credit: ADB Read the full show notes here: https://voxdev.org/topic/infrastructure/how-safe-transport-could-unlock-womens-labour-force-participation-pakistan
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. The menopause can be a huge biological shock to women, but there has been almost no research into the consequences for their working lives. A new study uses administrative data from Norway and Sweden to discover the consequences of the menopause, both for health and for earnings. Rita Ginja of the university of Bergen tells Tim Phillips about the surprising size and persistence of the menopause penalty, and the difference that education and choice of career can make.
Singaporeans are investing, but earning just 0.4% returns. Are we risk averse? With fixed income rates coming down, what are the risk-averse likely to look at? Plus Michelle Martin and her guest Tim Phillips from timtalksmoney.com discuss how investors could think through negative sentiment when it hits with Chocolate Finance and CDL as case studies. This episode is packed with takeaways for your wallet as both also discuss what 125 years of stock market history tells us about the future of markets and if we are maximising our airmiles should we use them on Lady Gaga concert tickets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Text Me!Episode 216: Why focusing on avoidance can hurt your Sobriety w/ Tim PhillipsIn episode 216 of the Sober Vibes podcast, Courtney Andersen welcomes Tim Phillips to the show and discusses how focusing on avoidance can hurt one's sobriety. Tim Phillips shares his powerful story of going from rock bottom to rehab and discovering what works for him beyond traditional 12-step programs.Tim Phillips is the host of the Sober and Happy Podcast and an advocate for individuals seeking to live a sober, fulfilling lifeWhat you will learn in this episode:Tim's journey from morning bartender to sustained sobriety since 2011Why the 12-step model works for some but not everyoneHow trauma healing fits into recoveryThe dangers of making your world smaller through avoidanceWhy exposure therapy can be valuable in recoveryBuilding confidence by facing fears with proper supportThe importance of developing self-trust in your sobriety journeyThank you to our Sponsor:As a show listener, you receive 20% off your order with EXACT NATURE. Make sure to check them out and support the show. Click here to shop and save 20% off with code "SV20. Free shipping on all orders! Listen to episode 129 with Thomas White to learn more about CBD.Resources Mentioned:Get the Book: Grab Your Copy HereJoin the Sobriety Circle Community: Join HereDownload the Free "Sober Not Boring" Calendar: Get Your Copy Work 1:1 with Courtney: Apply HereConnect with Tim:WebsiteInstagramFollow Courtney for More Inspiration:Instagram → @SoberVibesWebsite → www.courtneyrecovered.comRemember: You are strong. You are capable. You are not alone. Keep thriving! Thank you for listening!Join Sober Vibes Patreon for exclusive content. (Just $8/month!) Thank you for listening! Help the show by Rating, Reviewing, and/or Subscribing to the Sober Vibes Podcast. Connect w/ Courtney:InstagramJoin the Sobriety Circle Apply for 1:1 CoachingOrder the Sober Vibes Book
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Whenever economists gather, you will find many of tomorrow's best economists too. They get a rare chance to present their research, and traditionally we like to ask three of them to talk to us about it too. In this episode, Tim Phillips talks to three more young researchers about their work – and about how economics can do better. Matyas Molnar of Central European University describes his paper “International exhibitions as trade promotion”. Laura Arnemann of the University of Mannheim investigated “Taxes and Pay without Performance: Evidence from Executives”. And Gustavo García Bernal of Sciences Po speaks about “From Parent to Child: Intergenerational Wealth Dynamics and Inequalities.”
Geopolitical alliances are changing rapidly. Technological innovation is reshaping our economies. These trends offer a cocktail of risk and reward for countries in the global south. They are also both topics that are familiar to Simon Johnson of MIT. Simon speaks to Tim Phillips about how policy in developing countries should respond to President Trump's deglobalization agenda, how artificial intelligence changes the future for all countries, and where growth and jobs will come from in the future. And of course, what it was like to win the Nobel Prize. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/macroeconomics-growth/geopolitics-ai-future-global-development-conversation-simon-johnson Sahel and West Africa Club: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/directorates/sahel-and-west-africa-club.html Power and progress: https://shapingwork.mit.edu/power-and-progress/
Without Jonathan and the London-based international Match Bar Group he built, spanning 40+ venues at one time or another, cocktails in the UK would look very different today. Jonathan, a cheerful Mancunian former lawyer, invested heavily in bartending expertise when building his group: his first head bartender for Match bar was the legendary, late Dick Bradsell, he hired Dale de Groff to be a training consultant and partnered with the much-missed Sasha Petraske to open only the second-ever Milk & Honey, in London. Match Bars opened in Ibiza, Chamonix and as far afield as Melbourne, shaping the careers of literally hundreds of bartenders including Kevin Armstrong, Tim Phillips and Sam Jeveons.His second act was pop-up street festivals, and last time we had lunch he was referring to himself as semi-retired - but now he's getting back in the game, opening two big new places in London soon. I love chatting with Jonathan, and this one - uncharacteristically short, as he had to go to his Pilates class at 730pm on a Friday(!) - was pure gold, as ever. Apply for a job with Jonathan: jd@londonunion.comJonathan on X/Twitter: https://x.com/DowneyJD?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorJonathan on IG: https://www.instagram.com/downeyjd/?hl=en Get in touch with Duff!Podcast business enquiries: consulting@liquidsolutions.org (PR friends: we're only interested in having your client on if they can talk for a couple of hours about OTHER things than their prepared speaking points or their new thing, whatever that is, for a few hours. They need to be able to hang. Oh, plus we don't edit, and we won't supply prepared or sample questions, or listener or “reach” stats, either.) Retain Philip's consulting firm, Liquid Solutions, specialised in on-trade engagement & education, liquor brand creation and repositioning: philip@liquidsolutions.orgPhilip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philipsduff/ Philip on Facebook: Philip Duff Philip on X/Twitter: Philip Duff (@philipduff) / Twitter Philip on LinkedIn: linkedin.com Old Duff Genever on Instagram: Old Duff Genever (@oldduffgenever) • Instagram photos and videos Old Duff Genever on Facebook: facebook.com Old Duff Genever on X/Twitter: ...
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Everywhere in the world there is still a stigma around periods. That can lead to bullying or exclusion in schools. Girls are stressed, and that affects their ability to study. In Madagascar, an RCT set out to end the stigma by discussing menstruation openly and seeking out Young Girl Leaders who could help their peers understand what was happening, and why it shouldn't be a source of embarrassment or shame. Karen Macours of the Paris School of Economics tells Tim Phillips about the extraordinary effect of the programme on mental health and graduation rates.
Civil war – the latest in a long series of armed conflicts – broke out in Sudan in April 2023. Today, more than half of the population needs humanitarian aid, and almost 15 million people have been displaced. The war has also devastated the digital infrastructure in Sudan, deepening the crisis. African Renaissance Ventures is a VC firm that backs entrepreneurs who use technology to solve major development challenges. Magdi Amin tells Tim Phillips about how its infrastructure might be restored, and the risks to Sudan's population if it is not. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/institutions-political-economy/rebuilding-sudans-digital-infrastructure-amidst-conflict
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. During the first half of the 20th century, the US introduced state laws that imposed restrictions on when and how women were permitted to work outside the home. These laws seem bizarre in 2025. Why were they introduced – and why were they eventually repealed? In the first of three episodes to celebrate International Women's Day, Tim Phillips talks to Anne Hannusch of the University of Mannheim about what motivated the movement to keep women out of the workplace, and what, eventually, brought them back in.
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Recent research shows that our sex and race still affect our life chances. New evidence investigates whether class is still important in one profession that's close to home: academia. Anna Stansbury of MIT talks to Tim Phillips about what we mean when we talk about class, how it affects the careers of academics who get their PhDs from the top universities in the US – and why the class system, at least in academia, still exists.
Bangladesh's development story in the 21st century is often regarded as a model of resilience and progress. But on 5 August 2024, student-led protests and public unrest caused Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's prime minister, to resign and flee to India. An interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, took over. Six months on, Bangladesh's political and economic future is unclear. Imran Matin, Executive Director, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), is one of the experts in Bangladesh who are attempting to discover and communicate a clearer picture of the country's present – and its options for the future. He talks to Tim Phillips about how evidence-based policy can give the country a path forward.
It seems like many more of us have been working from home for at least part of the week. But bosses fret about the effect on productivity when their employees are out of sight. And we're increasingly hearing about companies who are demanding that their staff to return to the office for four, or even five, days a week. Alessandra Fenizia of George Washington University talks to Tim Phillips about her research into a group of hybrid workers in the UK public sector whose work patterns make it possible to compare productivity at home and in the office.
Un episodio de novedades con artistas con corazón de rock'n'roll que apuestan por ir un paso más allá en formas y sonidos.Playlist;MAIKA MAKOVSKI “Muscle cars” (Bunker Rococó)MAIKA MAKOVSKI “Just a boy” (Bunker Rococó)MYRIAM SWANSON “Calígula” (Calígula)JUANITA and JUAN “Aftertaste”L.A. WITCH “777” (Doggod)THE CHA CHA CHAS “Temple of Myrth” (Temple of Myrth)COURTNEY BARNETT “Before you gotta go” (Things take time, take time)PJ HARVEY and TIM PHILLIPS “Who by fire” (Bad Sisters BSO)MARIANNE FAITHFULL “Crazy love” (Before the poison)MELANIE “Hurt”EDITH FROST “Nothing comes around” (In space)THROWING MUSES “You’re clouds” (Moonlight concessions)THE LIMBOOS “Dark is the night” (Off the loop)JULIE BETH NAPOLIN “In the dark” (Only the void stands between us)KIM DEAL “Come running” (Nobody loves you more)Escuchar audio
What are the price impacts of cash transfer programs? Do they raise prices as well as incomes? And what is the impact on people in the community who don't receive the transfer? Eeshani Kandpal of the Center for Global Development is one of the researchers who has investigated this topic. She talks to Tim Phillips about the conclusions of her own research, the insights of other economists, and the implications for policy.
As markets hit record highs, should investors buy now or wait for a pullback? What do the historical numbers say about the probability of pullbacks? Are there ETF's that do well when markets reach ATH's? Meanwhile, Samyang Foods’ spicy noodles are heating up, but South Korea’s stock market is struggling. What lessons can investors learn from this divergence? Plus, strategies for investing at all-time highs and overcoming market fear. Hosted by Michelle Martin with her guest, Tim Phillips, Founder of TimTalksMoney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Do the most productive people work more or less than others? It's a question that is constantly asked in economics, not least because the available data that compares the differences in working hours between rich and poor countries, or the same country over time, often seems to confound our expectations. Jonna Olsson tells Tim Phillips about how a simple model gives us an insight into the problem and suggests one way we can make sense of this puzzle.
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Europe faces a gigantic climate investment gap. Can an EU climate debt financing scheme help to close it? To do this, Irene Monasterolo and her co-authors are proposing the joint issuance of climate bonds by the European Stability Mechanism, funded by selling greenhouse gas emission allowances via the ETS. She talks to Tim Phillips about what this would mean in practice for the greening of the monetary system and the efforts of EU states to counter the effects of climate change – and also the political impact if the funding mechanism creates the EU's first common fiscal capacity.
How does a healthy ecosystem benefit humanity? How does the normal functioning of the economy impact natural habitats and animal populations? And what are the costs and benefits of conservation? Eyal Frank of the University of Chicago works at the intersection of economics and conservation. He speaks to Tim Phillips about how economic growth often has a hidden environmental cost. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/energy-environment/economics-ecosystems-how-nature-and-economies-interact
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. At COPs or the WEF, we regularly hear about ambitious tree-planting initiatives. These massive programs have been praised as a way to motivate entire communities to join the fight against climate change, but do we know what their impact on the environment or the economy would be? An ingenious piece of research that evaluates a century-old environmental policy in the US gives us a valuable new insight into what planting trees, if done carefully, can achieve. Florian Grosset-Touba spoke to Tim Phillips about the history of tree-planting programmes, where and how to plant them, and the potential impact on the climate and the economy.
The Reducing Conflict and Improving Performance in the Economy (ReCIPE) programme, established in April 2024, aims to provide a better understanding of the links between conflict, economic growth, and public policies. One of its many themes is on what happens post-conflict: peacemaking, peacebuilding, and reconstruction. Salma Mousa and Lisa Hultman, theme leaders, talk to Tim Phillips about why peacebuilding must always be both bottom-up and top-down if it is going to work.
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. For several decades, global financial markets have been increasingly integrated. But has that process now gone into reverse? If so, what blocs does the fracturing of global financial markets create, and what might be the consequences of what we now call financial deglobalization? Linda Goldberg and Signe Krogstrup spoke to Tim Phillips about what these changes in the global financial system might mean for price stability, financial stability, and payments.
Published this week: the latest VoxDevLit covers microfinance. After many decades, microfinance is pervasive and popular in developing countries but is often controversial. What have we learned about what works, how it works, and who it helps – and what is there still to understand? Authors Simon Quinn, Muhammad Meki, and Jing Cai talk to Tim Phillips about the problems of evaluation, the surprising uses to which microfinance has been put, and the lessons that policymakers can learn from the story of microfinance so far. Read the full show notes here: https://voxdev.org/topic/finance/what-have-we-learned-about-microfinance Read and download the VoxDevLit from our new look website here: https://voxdev.org/voxdevlit/microfinance
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. Can cryptocurrencies be useful? Not just for crypto bro speculators, but as a shield against the depreciation of the official currency if a government is determined to pursue inflationary policies – a proposition first argued by Friedrich Hayek in his 1976 book “The Denationalisation of Money”. Bruno Biais tells Tim Phillips how this might work and is already happening in some countries.
In 2018, “Unorthodox policies for unorthodox times” was the title of the first in a series of blogs published by the International Growth Centre. The authors argued that the environment for development had changed, and so development policies should change too. Seven years on, as delegates gather in Davos for the 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, how prescient was the analysis in these articles, and what does this mean for future growth policy? Tim Dobermann and Francesco Caselli talk to Tim Phillips about which “unorthodox policies” the delegates to Davos should be discussing this week. Read the full show notes on VoxDev: https://voxdev.org/topic/macroeconomics-growth/how-can-countries-develop-their-economies-changed-world
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. How effective have the trade sanctions imposed on Russia in 2022 been? Politically, they were comprehensive and quick. But anecdotal reporting has suggested that Russian firms that wanted to get round the sanctions could do so. To reach a more rigorous conclusion, Tim Phillips spoke to Dzhamilya Nigmatulina about the research that she and her colleagues have done using domestic railway shipments, firm balance sheets, and government procurement data to produce the most comprehensive analysis so far of the economic impact so far of the trade sanctions on Russia.
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it was already under sanctions for annexing Crimea in 2014. But did the gradual way in which these well intended “smart sanctions” were phased in during the 2010s allow many Russian banks, and their customers, to avoid any negative consequences? Mikhail Mamonov tells Tim Phillips about the consequences, or lack of them, of the smart sanctions imposed on Russia.
In economically depressed regions of the US – the “heartland” – President Trump's 2018 trade war was a popular decision: “We're going to bring jobs back to our country,” he told voters. Did the tariffs he imposed generate jobs? And what was the impact of the retaliatory tariffs imposed by China? David Dorn talks to Tim Phillips about the recent history of US trade policy, and what this means for Trump 2.0.
Recorded at the CEPR Paris Symposium. For two decades Maurice Obstfeld has been researching the causes and consequences of the global trade imbalances in the world economy. Now, as are seeing a retreat from globalisation, they are once again a talking point for President Trump's trade policymakers. He talks to Tim Phillips about whether the popular narratives about their cause and effect stand up to scrutiny, and the consequences of the Trump 2.0 policy promises that those narratives have inspired.