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.
Dialogues économiques

Embedding the economy into society
Social norms and interactions lie at the heart of our existence as humans, impacting all aspects of our lives. This makes made them a factor to be considered in many sciences. Yet, many economic models , trivialise them or even neglect them, in contrast to how the real world works. Therefore, three economists, Marc Fleurbaey, Ravi Kanbur, and Dennis Snower, are trying to change this perspective and bring the economy into a wider social game.
NOVEMBER 29, 2022
NOVEMBER 29, 2022
Photo par Antonio Diaz sur Adobe Stock
Dialogues économiques

Security: Who Benefits from the Fight Against Crime?
In the fight against crime, private and public actors in security and protection work hand in hand. What good would a security camera do if it were not connected to a local police station? Are the police more useful to people who have cameras? The researchers Tanguy van Ypersele, Steeve Mongrain, Joanne Roberts, and Ross Hickey came up with a model that analyzes the link between public and private security.
OCTOBER 30, 2022
OCTOBER 30, 2022
Photographie par Tom Goosens sur Unsplash
Dialogues économiques

Marriage, War, Money? How Inheritance Impacted the Creation of the Modern State
Why did medieval inheritance rules prioritize men over women? Èric Roca Fernández uses a mathematical simulation to demonstrate how the systematic preference for men in inheritance rules helped European feudal fiefdoms transform into modern states.
OCTOBER 17, 2022
OCTOBER 17, 2022
Dialogues économiques

Exchange Rate Targeting in Sub-Saharan Africa: Real, Nominal, or Mixed?
With little diversification, a great amount of debt, and a high level of dependence, the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa are confronted with many challenges and left vulnerable against external shocks. What exchange rate regimes do central banks choose to protect these countries and help them reach seemingly incompatible macroeconomic aims?
JUNE 14, 2022
JUNE 14, 2022
Photographie par Gorodenkoff sur Adobe Stock
Dialogues économiques

Evaluating Education Systems Through Inequalities Between Families
Is the French education system a rather average performer? According to the PISA ranking, this seems to be the case. But this ranking, which ranks education systems based on the average scores of their 15-year-old pupils, has its limitations. The economists Nicolas Gravel, Edward Levavasseur, and Patrick Moyes have therefore taken a new look at the PISA ranking by accounting for inequalities in family background.
OCTOBER 9, 2022
OCTOBER 9, 2022
Photo par Slam sur Adobe Stock
Dialogues économiques

Cesarean Section Epidemic: The Algerian Case
Is the world experiencing a caesarean section epidemic? The use of this practice is increasing in parallel to the establishment of private actors in the health sector. Using the example of Algeria, economists Ahcène Zehnati, Marwân-al-Qays Bousmah and Mohammad Abu-Zaineh reveal the differences in practice between the private and public health sectors.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
Zbynek Burival sur Unsplash
Dialogues économiques

Is there a “Natural Resources Curse?”
Oil, coal, gas, gold, diamonds, and other minerals are a great source of wealth for the countries that have these natural resources beneath the surface of their land. However, resources and development do not always go hand-in-hand. For a long time, economics literature has talked about the “curse of natural resources.” In the 2000’s, this theory is questioned: this “curse” may in fact just be a statistical artifact. The economists Nicolas Clootens and Djamel Kirat provide another perspective to the argument.
SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
SEPTEMBER 6, 2022
Photo by Wusuowei on AdobeStock
Dialogues économiques

Does a Denser City Mean a Greener City?
New Delhi, Jakarta, Mexico City, and Tokyo are all globally celebrated cities, but their population density is most often associated with polluted, unbreathable air and a heavy atmosphere. However, according to the economists David Castells-Quintana, Elisa Dienesch, and Mélanie Krause, promoting denser urban areas could actually lower emissions per capita—especially if the city is organized into multiple business districts.
JUNE 28, 2022
JUNE 28, 2022
Photo par JackF sur AdobeStock
Dialogues économiques

The Growth Rate of Cities: From Agricultural to Industrial Towns
According to the World Bank, cities account for only 55% of Earth’s population, and generate more than 80% of the global GDP. They also often have a high economic growth. An Oxford study estimated Paris’ growth rate between 2019 and 2035 to be approximately 1.7%. But how can we explain this urban economic growth? The economists Christian Ghiglino, Kazuo Nishimura, and Alain Venditti aim to respond to this question by using a model that combines two major economic theories.
MAY 24, 2022
MAY 24, 2022
Dialogues économiques

The Balance Between Labor and Capital: Do Profits Consume Wages?
How are wages decided upon? One major determining factor is how value added is shared between a company’s profits and employee compensation. It has been collectively admitted that over the past forty years, profits have increased in many developed countries at the expense of wages. Economists Gilbert Cette, Lorraine Koehl, and Thomas Philippon look at this in a new light and demonstrate that the percentage for wages has actually increased in France.
MAY 10, 2022
MAY 10, 2022