Joachim WEHNER, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Projet de recherche :  Economists as Policy-makers: Can They Make Markets and Voters Happy? (book project with Mark Hallerberg)

Finance ministers in the UK have never had an advanced economics education, while in democratic Chile they almost always have a PhD in economics. Why is there such variation in the use of economists – and why should we care? Based on unique biographical information about finance ministers, central bankers, presidents and prime ministers, we analyse the forces of supply and demand for economists and their performance in office in political and economic terms. Our focus on individual policy-makers opens up a novel approach to understanding government performance, with significant implications for how we explain political stability and economic prosperity.

In addition, I am developing projects on (a) migration and election outcomes in London, (b) corruption and election outcomes in South Africa and (c) the history of the right to vote.

Mail : J.H.Wehner@lse.ac.uk