Dialogues économiques

An online media outlet dedicated to making economics accessible, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and the general public. Dialogues économiques publishes articles, video interviews, and infographics, twice a month, providing information on a wide range of topics addressed by economic research. Available in both French and English, the content may be reproduced in its entirety, provided the authors and the source Dialogues économiques are credited (CC BY-NC-ND). Readers can subscribe to receive each new publication directly in their inbox.
Photo by Peshkov on AdobeStock
Dialogues économiques

The glass ceiling in Academia: when women hurt their career success
Why are there so few women at the top of the academic career ladder? Recent research by Clément Bosquet, Pierre-Philippe Combes, and Cecilia García-Peñalosa using data for academic economists in France shows that only 18% of those in the most senior positions are women, and that this is largely due to them not applying for such positions. This is not just a matter of discrimination: women hurt their own careers by not putting themselves forward for promotion.
MARCH 31, 2020
MARCH 31, 2020
Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash
Dialogues économiques

How Can the Spark Between Ecology and Economics be Rekindled?
In a world where climate change is a hot topic, enterprising countries must take initiative in implementing ambitious environmental policies. However, the cost of these policies hinders those that have been straddled with massive public debt since the 2008 financial crisis. So, how can economics and ecology be united? This is the question that is being examined by economists Mouez Fodha, Thomas Seegmuller, and Hiroaki Yamagami.
MARCH 17, 2020
MARCH 17, 2020
Photo by Artem on Adobe Stock
Dialogues économiques

Job creation and cash holdings in private firms: is there a link?

Contrary to popular belief, holding large amounts of cash does not encourage private companies to hire staff. In fact, the effect is quite the opposite. Economists Philippe Bacchetta, Kenza Benhima and Céline Poilly highlight the role of external ‘liquidity shocks’ to explain a surprising link between the two phenomena.
MARCH 3, 2020
MARCH 3, 2020
Dialogues économiques

The drive for expulsion gaining ground in the EU
In Europe, policies aimed at expelling irregular migrants and rejected asylum seekers are gaining momentum. For many years, Jean-Pierre Cassarino has collected more than 640 bilateral readmission agreements concluded by the EU Member States. He sheds light on an expanding expulsion system which is part and parcel of a broader international framework.
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Photo by ev on unsplash
Dialogues économiques

The thin line between expulsion and voluntary return
The European Union has constructed a new language around the « voluntary return » of irregular migrants and this is making a complex situation more difficult to grasp. Jean-Pierre Cassarino, a political scientist, studies return migration and warns against the abusive use of « return » in the political debate.
FEBRUARY 4, 2020
FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Photo by Dashu83 on Adobe Stock
Dialogues économiques

Petty racism in private housing
The password is “white” in the competitive private rentals market. Finding a flat can be a real challenge for African immigrants. The economists Bruno Decreuse, Pierre Philippes Combes, Benoît Schmutz, and Alain Trannoy study the insidious racism of neighbouring tenants and landlords that lies at the root of current discriminations.
JANUARY 21, 2020
JANUARY 21, 2020
Austin Distel on Unsplash
Dialogues économiques

Entrepreneurial motivations impact business performance

Microcredits help microenterprises get started. They are an innovative way to address financial exclusion and unemployment. But business performance is closely linked to entrepreneurial motivation. Renaud Bourlès and Anastasia Cozarenco show that businesses started by « necessity » are less likely to make profits than those that are the result of « opportunity ». So differentiating between entrepreneurial motivations is a challenge for public policies.
JULY 18, 2019
JULY 18, 2019
Photo by Arran Smith on Unsplash
Dialogues économiques

A new wind blows through China: addressing pollution’s economic effects
When an economy breathes polluted air, its lungs get damaged. China has become asthmatic by running too fast. The population has gone into atrophy, intoxicated by economic growth: producing often pollutes. Natacha Raffin and Thomas Seegmuller explain what China is going through: the contamination is affecting longevity, economic stability, and welfare, all at the same time. They provide answers that could help avoid asphyxiation.
FEBRUARY 13, 2019
FEBRUARY 13, 2019
05 June 2014 Kanyabayonga, Democratic Republic of the Congo Photo # 590745 UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti
Dialogues économiques

How the commodity boom encourages violence in Africa
The rise in mineral prices often has bloody consequences for Africa. This was the conclusion of Nicolas Berman, Mathieu Couttenier, Dominic Rohner, and Mathias Thoenig in a recent pan-African survey. The 2000s commodity boom accounted for up to one-fourth of the conflicts across African countries over the 2000-2009 period. Worse still, local battles escalate into regional ones because mines make rebellions financially feasible, spreading conflicts across space and time.
APRIL 23, 2019
APRIL 23, 2019
© Photo cc_Jason Leung_Unsplash
Dialogues économiques

Is power of veto vital to international cooperation?

The UN Security Council has been the subject of wide-ranging debate about whether it should open its doors to other permanent members. Many countries wish to join this select group to gain the power of veto that goes along with membership. Because of the inequalities it introduces and its ability to obstruct negotiations, veto power has been a tricky issue so far. Yet it may also be vital to international cooperation, to counteract the existing balance of power between nations.
JANUARY 14, 2019
JANUARY 14, 2019