Open Markets is now available on Amazon
My fact-filled, research-based graphic nonfiction book on markets and cooperation can now be bought in the US for 20 dollars.
The Capitalist Welfare State
The international blog of the Swedish economist Andreas Bergh, author of "Open Markets" and "Sweden and the revival of the capitalist welfare state"
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Latest posts
Conley and Kelly almost killed an entire literature. But the Spanish Inquisition survived!
Some celebrated econ-findings (eg. that the slave trade shapes trust, that medieval pogroms foreshadowed the Holocaust) rest on t-stats that should've made us suspicious. A new paper explains why.
Should We Have a Billionaire [Zucman] Tax?
A billionaire tax is a blunt instrument against the problems its advocates point to. Instead, focus on building a society that isn't harmed by more people becoming super-rich.
How Much Does Immigration Bias Sweden’s Social Trust Measure?
If surveys such as the WVS/EVS do not fully capture immigrants, social trust is biased upwards. But how large can the bias possibly be?
Did Finland experiment with Basic Income - and what can be learned from whatever they did?
Finland’s basic income trial was less about basic income and more about experimenting with conditionality in a generous welfare state.
Two reasons why doing nothing is the best response to Trump's tariff-wars.
Populist leaders don’t play the same game, and outrage is their home-field advantage.
Polarization, friendships and the gender equality paradox
When constraints are relaxed and choice expands, outcomes likely become more segregated rather than more integrated.
Stop the Ritual: Why Cross-Country Research Should Let Go of Fake Causality
After writing yet another referee-report, I wrote a short note to the editor. And then, turned it into a slightly longer text. Enjoy!
Who pays more tax in high-tax countries?
Tl,dr: Everyone. High-tax countries don’t tax just tax the rich higher, they tax high, medium and low-income earners higher.
Do Welfare Benefits Compensate for Globalization Among Affluent Democracies?
First created: 2020-01-08
Does Globalization Alleviate Polarisation?
First created: 2020-10-29
On Globalization and Populism in Europe and Fukuyama’s Commonplace Judgment
First created: 2019-11-19
Absolute Poverty Is Falling. What Role Does Globalization Play?
First created: 2016-04-18
Is Degrowth a Well Defined Concept?
First posted: 2016-05-10
From the archives: On the possibility of a Hayekian welfare state
My first post on Hayekian welfare states (from feb 8th, 2015)
Lower prices in many countries increases global purchasing power
...and also decreases poverty and inequality
Coming soon
My english blog will be returning on Substack.