Populism and inequality: Does reality match the populist rhetoric?

Populists since the Roman Republic have argued for redistribution from an elite to ordinary people and depicted themselves as the true representative of the ‘people’. However, very little research has explored whether populists actually affect the distribution of income or consumption when in power. The present paper therefore asks, whether populists admin- istrations actually achieve redistribution. After a short theoretical discussion, our empirical strategy combines new data on populism in Latin America and the Caribbean with infor- mation on income and consumption inequality since 1970. Estimates suggest that populist governments in the region generally have achieved no redistribution, leading us to con- clude that the redistributive aims of populists are mainly empty rhetoric

Targeted prevention in primary care aimed at lifestyle-related diseases:a study protocol for a non-randomised pilot study

Background: The consequences of lifestyle-related disease represent a major burden for the individual as well as for society at large. Individual preventive health checks to the general population have been suggested as a mean to reduce the burden of lifestyle-related diseases, though with mixed evidence on effectiveness. Several systematic reviews, on the other hand, suggest that health checks targeting people at high risk of chronic lifestyle-related diseases may be more effective. The evidence is however very limited. To effectively target people at high risk of lifestyle-related disease, there is a substantial need to advance and implement evidence-based health strategies and interventions that facilitate the identification and management of people at high risk. This paper reports on a non-randomized pilot study carried out to test the acceptability, feasibility and short-term effects of a healthcare intervention in primary care designed to systematically identify persons at risk of developing lifestyle-related disease or who engage in health-risk behavior, and provide targeted and coherent preventive services to these individuals. Methods: The intervention took place over a three-month period from September 2016 to December 2016. Taking a two-pronged approach, the design included both a joint and a targeted intervention. The former was directed at the entire population, while the latter specifically focused on patients at high risk of a lifestyle-related disease and/or who engage in health-risk behavior. The intervention was facilitated by a digital support system. The evaluation of the pilot will comprise both quantitative and qualitative research methods. All outcome measures are based on validated instruments and aim to provide results pertaining to intervention acceptability, feasibility, and short-term effects. Discussion: This pilot study will provide a solid empirical base from which to plan and implement a full-scale randomized study with the central aim of determining the efficacy of a preventive health intervention. Trial registration: Registered at Clinical Trial Gov (Unique Protocol ID: TOFpilot2016). Registered 29 April 2016. The study adheres to the SPIRIT guidelines

The economics of change and stability in social trust: Evidence from (and for) Catalan secession

Consequences of social trust are comparatively well studied, while its societal determinants are often subject to debate. This paper studies both in the context of Catalan attempts to secede from Spain: First, we test whether Catalonia enjoys higher levels of social capital that it is prevented from capi-talizing on. Second, the paper examines whether secessionist movements create animosity and political divisions within society that undermine trust. Employing the nine available waves of the European Social Survey for Spain, we only find weak indications that social trust levels are higher in Catalonia than in the rest of the country. Interestingly, we further find testimony of a purely transient “exuberance ef-fect” after secession became a real option, indicating that the long- run evolution of social trust may best be thought of as a stable punctuated equilibrium

The economics of change and stability in social trust: Evidence from (and for) Catalan secession

Consequences of social trust are comparatively well studied, while its societal determinants are often subject to debate. This paper studies both in the context of Catalan attempts to secede from Spain: First, we test whether Catalonia enjoys higher levels of social capital that it is prevented from capi-talizing on. Second, the paper examines whether secessionist movements create animosity and political divisions within society that undermine trust. Employing the nine available waves of the European Social Survey for Spain, we only find weak indications that social trust levels are higher in Catalonia than in the rest of the country. Interestingly, we further find testimony of a purely transient “exuberance ef-fect” after secession became a real option, indicating that the long- run evolution of social trust may best be thought of as a stable punctuated equilibrium

Economic Institutions and Political Development

This Ph.D. dissertation consists of three self-contained chapters on New Institutional Economics (NIE). Ever since the expansion of neoclassical economics during the three decades following World War II, economists have realized that their theoretical approach can be applied to analyze a broader set of topics, including politics and law

Economic Institutions and Political Development

This Ph.D. dissertation consists of three self-contained chapters on New Institutional Economics (NIE). Ever since the expansion of neoclassical economics during the three decades following World War II, economists have realized that their theoretical approach can be applied to analyze a broader set of topics, including politics and law

Populism and inequality: Does reality match the populist rhetoric?

Populists since the Roman Republic have argued for redistribution from an elite to ordinary people and depicted themselves as the true representative of the ‘people’. However, very little research has explored whether populists actually affect the distribution of income or consumption when in power. The present paper therefore asks, whether populists admin- istrations actually achieve redistribution. After a short theoretical discussion, our empirical strategy combines new data on populism in Latin America and the Caribbean with infor- mation on income and consumption inequality since 1970. Estimates suggest that populist governments in the region generally have achieved no redistribution, leading us to con- clude that the redistributive aims of populists are mainly empty rhetoric