Evaluation of Public Policy
Public spending accounts for a large part of the Swedish economy. Researchers in Evaluation of Public Policy study whether the resources are used properly.
The research covers a wide range of issues, from how the design of social insurance affects health and premature retirement to how monetary policy should be designed in a globalised world. The focus is on economic and labour market policies, as well as on education and social insurance systems.
The research can be said to rest on three pillars. One is the analysis of the impact of different economic policy measures – what works and what does not? Another is the study of the underlying issues – in order for measures to be effective, it is important to understand the causal relationships in society. There is also prescriptive research, which tries to answer the question of how political measures can be designed as efficiently as possible.
Among many other results, the research has shown that immigrants who assume Swedish-sounding surnames increase their income, which indicates that discrimination is an important factor in wage differences between immigrants and native Swedes. The research has also shown that the comprehensive school reforms in Sweden in the 1950s have led to increased opportunities for talented students from less privileged backgrounds, thus reducing social inequality.
Research is conducted primarily at the Department of Economics, often in collaboration with economists within and outside the University, both in Sweden and internationally. The researchers are regularly engaged as experts and specialists by institutions such as the Swedish Fiscal Policy Council and the Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. The researchers also actively participate in public debate, for example, as writers for the blog Ekonomistas.
Web editor:
Paul Parker
Last updated:
November 23, 2011
Source: Communications Office
