IFN in the Press
IFN researchers are regularly interviewed by the media. International press clippings are found here, whereas Swedish and Scandinavian press clippings are found on our Swedish website.
Policy backlash could crush Europe’s biggest telehealth market
Mårten Blix, IFN, has talked to Healthcare Business International. He explained that “it would make sense for digital health companies to look at more densely populated areas. We have an issue with fewer doctors in the sparsely populated areas in the north and all of the benefits will be
diminished if it’s pushed into a regional context.”
Guest Post: Top 3 myths about more able learners: busted!
Schools Improvement Net is writing about "highly able young people". The author is quoting research by Gabriel Heller Sahlgren, LSE and IFN: “[A]s governments in general tend to focus in particular on increasing equity and raising achievement among low-performing pupils, the needs of gifted children are often ignored in western countries.”
The Swedish Lesson: Welfare States Create Moral Hazard
"We should remember that generous welfare states pose a moral hazard", Bullfax argues. "Gatekeeping functions have been introduced, mainly for sick-leave claims, to limit over-utilization and outright cheating.Economist Martin Ljunge [IFN] suggests that the reforms may need to be quite far-reaching to reverse the long-term effect that the welfare state has had."
Affordable housing: Living in shipping containers
LIberty Unyielding and further media argue that "loosening zoning and simplifying building codes would increase the supply of housing and make housing more affordable". The writer refers to Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University: "Even left-leaning economists think rent control is stupid. For example, in 1972, the Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck warned, 'In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing.'”
Academic taxi drivers in a global marketplace
Lars Engwall argues in University World News that well educated people of foreign origin are driving taxis can be explained by "insider-outsider mechanism formulated in the 1980s by the Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] and his British colleague Dennis Snower".
Europe’s New Beggars
Writing in Quillette about free movement within the EU, Johan Wennström, IFN, argues that "contrary to the purpose of free movement, most [of the beggars] have not come to work or study, but to beg in the most abject manners". Wennström writes: "[...] an elite [in Westerns Europe] discourse condones destructive behavior and reinterprets a denigrating hand-to-mouth existence as an alternative lifestyle, ultimately discouraging governments from taking the necessary measures to maintain human dignity and alleviate the social costs of begging, such as imposing a blanket ban."
Credit ratings and structured finance
In a column published at Vox.org/Cepr's policy portal, Jens Josephson, Stockholm University and affiliated to IFN, and Joel Shapiro, Oxford University, discusses the role of credit rating agencies. They analyse the incidence of rating inflation when such an agency both designs and rates securities.
A Simple Way to Make Housing More Affordable
Freedom Bunker (Libertarian News) tackles the issue of affordable housing. In regards to rent control Freedom Bunker writes: "Economics professor Assar Lindbeck [IFN] [...] cautioned in 1972, 1In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing'.”
The slow death of global stock markets
Over the last two decades, the amount of listed companies has declined sharply on both sides of the Atlantic, writes World Finances. " In an influential paper, Swedish economists Alexander Ljungqvist, Joacim Tåg and Lars Persson claimed that delistings can reduce citizens’ exposure to corporate profits and undermine support for business-friendly and free trade policies”.
The Exhaustion of Hedgehog Morality
It never seems to occur to liberals to try to understand what the discontented citizens of Europe who voted for Brexit or the AfD are actually saying, argues Johan Wennström, IFN, in an article in Quilette. Wennström suggests that "the cause of this intellectual rigidity may be that liberal politicians are incapable of entering a mindset in which liberal values do not reign supreme".
Why Europe Axed Its Wealth Taxes
National Review and more media writes, about wealth-taxation, that that its "supporters do not seem concerned about the likely damage to economic growth". The wrtiter refers to a study of the history of the Swedish wealth tax by Magnus Henrekson, IFN, and Gunnar Du Rietz.
How Capitalism Saved Sweden From The Evils of Socialism
Michael Munger, Professor of Economics at Duke University, argues in Capitalism Magazine that cintrary to what many American believe "Sweden is one of the most robustly capitalist nations on earth". Munger refers to "as Andreas Bergh (IFN) points out in his 2016 book, Sweden and the Revival of the Capitalist Welfare State, it is inconceivable to think of the Sweden of the current decade as being anything other than a capitalist, and in fact libertarian, country".
Oregon Adopts Destructive Rent Control – First Such Statewide Law in US
CNS News states that Oregon’s legislature has passed the first statewide rent control law in the country, which Governor Kate Brown (D) signed into law. The news outlet quotes Assar Lindbeck, IFN, saying that “next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.”
Kamala Harris Backs Rent Control—a Policy 93% of Economists Said Is Harmful
Before its News and more, notes that Senator Kamala Harris “enthusiastically endorses rent control. The publication writes that "economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] said that 'next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.'"
Having a medical professional in the family ups likelihood of hitting 80
Becker's Hospital Review is writing about research by Petra Persson, Stanford University and IFN, et al: "Having a nurse or physician in your family can result in a longer life, among other benefits, according to a working paper [...]".
Doctor or nurse in the family? You’re more likely to hit 80
The nonprofit site Futurity publish a text about research by Petra Persson, Stanford University and IFN. "A question as simple as 'Are you taking your medicine?. could conceivably prolong your life, research shows." The research shows that people with access to informal health expertise, such as having a doctor or nurse in the family, are 10 percent more likely to live beyond age 80.
The Return of Rent Control
NPR/Radio WPSU and more observe that rent control is coming back in the state of Oregon: "The Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] once called it "the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing." But, with rent levels in cities like Portland, San Francisco, and New York making life increasingly unaffordable for many residents, lawmakers see rent control as a fix they can deliver immediately."
Stanford scholars examine the advantages of informal health expertise
New research by Petra Persson, Stanford University and affiliated to IFN, is presented in Stanford News. The researchers tackle the issue of health inequality. They find that those with relatives in the health profession are 10 percent more likely to live beyond age 80.
Benefits of informal health expertise
Medicalexpress is presenting new research by Petra Persson, Stanford University and IFN, et al. They find that those with relatives in the health profession are 10 percent more likely to live beyond age 80. They are also significantly less likely to have chronic lifestyle-related conditions, such as heart attacks, heart failure and diabetes.
Oregon Just Became the First State to Impose Rent Control
The Daily Signal and more outlets write about the first statewide rent control law in the US. "Economists say rent controls are destructive. [...] The economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] said that “next to bombing, rent control seems in many cases to be the most efficient technique so far known for destroying cities.”
MPs Briefed on the Pros and Cons of Rent Controls
MPs have been briefed on a new research paper that assesses the pros and cons of rent controls in England, notes Landlord News: "The paper also discusses rent controls in other countries, including intense opposition from the likes of Assar Lindbeck [IFN] , a professor in Stockholm: “In many cases, rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city – except for bombing.”
Could UK agents hold key to the return of rent controls in England?
Property Industry Eye writes about a research paper that has been published to help brief MPs on the arguments for and against rent controls. Rent control in other countries is mentioned and Assar Lindbeck, IFN och Stockholm University is quoted having said that "in many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city – except for bombing.”
Capitalism with Scandinavian characteristics
American Star Tribune is writing that "Scandinavian capitalism is different from that in the United States". The writer is quoting Assar Lindbeck, IFN and Stockholm University, who in 1997 described what happened in Sweden after WW II: "In Lindbeck's words, the Swedish model looked 'less idyllic' by the early 1990s."
The names of migrants to America suggest they were individualists
Economist publishes a text explaining why rare first names may help explain political differences. Economist quote Mounir Karadja and Erik Prawitz [IFN] clarifying "that the option to emigrate emboldened workers to join unions, who backed leftist parties. But emigrants’ rare names imply another possible explanation: an exodus of individualists left behind people friendly to collectivism."
Why It's So Hard for Entrepreneurs to Get Really Rich in Europe
Magnus Henrekson, IFN, is interviewed by Bloomberg about reforms needed to create more entrepreneurship in Europe.
The Age Of Debt And How To Profit From It
Seeking Alpha is writing about "debt, debt, and more debt ". The journal is quoting research by Andreas Bergh and Magnus Henrekson, IFN: In their "paper 'Government Size and Growth: A Survey and Interpretation of the Evidence', found that as government size increases, GDP growth declines".
Nothing is sacred in the debate about the Swedish model
Nordic Labour Journal argues that "big changes to the labor market could be just around the corner, depending on who ends up forming a government". The writer is quoting Lars Calmfors, IFN, in regards to the industry’s role in wage formation. Calmfors were saying that “If these sectors are to meet their labor needs, wage increases must probably be higher than what suits the industry”.
Early entry to verify quality stimulates breakthrough innovations
An article by Pehr-Johan Norbäck, Lars Persson and Roger Svensson is published at Vox.eu, the policy portal of CEPR. Theyv argue that to stimulate the entry and growth of small entrepreneurial firms you need to combine subsidy schemes with policies that improve the merger and acquisition market for small entrepreneurial firms.
Comment: Reforms would increase rental shortage
The New Zealand Mortgage Mag publish a text about the Residential Tenancies Act in which changes are proposed, for example, to end "the 90 day no cause termination". The landlord and lawyer writing argues: "The proposed measures would only succeed in the manner predicted by renowned Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck [IFN] in his 1972 quote: “Rent control: the most efficient technique to destroy a city - except for bombing”.
We need to incentivise business education for our economy to thrive – and not just MBAs
What makes a leader and a start-up successful? The Telegraph is referring to research by Gabriel Heller Sahlgren, LSE and affiliated to IFN, showing that leaders with qualifications in business, social science and law are best at driving growth. They are most likely to employ others, so taking crucial first steps toward becoming high-quality entrepreneurs.