Dialogues économiques | AMSE | Aix-Marseille School of Economics

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

May God Bless You! (If you pay)

For both insurance and divine protection, giving to the church can pay off. This is what economists Emmanuelle Auriol, Julie Lassébie, Amma Panin, Eva Raiber, and Paul Seabright demonstrate after studying the reasons why Ghanaian parishioners often give such large donations (sometimes over 10% of their income!) to their churches.

MARCH 1, 2022

Dialogues économiques

The general practitioner shortage: a French disease?

France is suffering from a shortage of general practitioners. One of the symptoms of this sickness has been termed 'medical desertification'. But what lies behind this expression? The economists Julien Silhol, Bruno Ventelou and Anna Zaytseva overthrow the assumptions in their latest publication. They reveal a little-known truth: inequalities exist in access to care from one end of France to the other, and not only in rural areas. An in-depth study is conducted into the practices of general practitioners in these areas defined by the ARS as 'under-provisioned': do these medical practices differ according to location?

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

Dialogues économiques

Differing beliefs about common societal issues: what are the outcomes?

Reducing overall plastic consumption, vaccinating enough people to curb a pandemic, or donating to charity – these are all divisive issues. If I want to contribute, will my actions make any difference? What cost am I willing to pay? Economists Nicolas Gravel and Anwesha Banerjee study the extent to which an individual’s beliefs on issues such as these can influence the actions taken. Their research shows that the more closely a group's members are aligned on an issue, the more likely the group is to act toward the public good.

JANUARY 4, 2022

Dialogues économiques

Protecting and Taking Advantage of Nature: A Paradox?

In the current Anthropocene epoch, human economic activities seem increasingly incompatible with nature preservation. In fact, many habitats and species have already paid the price… Researchers Noël Bonneuil and Raouf Boucekkine strive to address this apparent paradox by proposing an approach that combines population genetics and econometrics.

DECEMBER 7, 2021

Dialogues économiques

The Infertility Boom: What Are the Costs to Society?

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to have a baby. In France, one in every eight couples seeks help for a fertility problem. Solutions such as medically assisted reproduction (MAR) do exist, but these treatments can be costly for both individuals and society. Faced with this phenomenon, economists Johanna Etner, Natacha Raffin, and Thomas Seegmuller have sought the best system to reduce the inequalities generated by infertility, which affects individuals in an increasingly random manner.

NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Dialogues économiques

Microcredit in India: Forging A New Path to School?

For the most impoverished, the various obstacles and pitfalls along the path to school do not always make it a walk in the park. To fight against poverty, many microcredit programs have been set up. One of these, the “Self Help Group” in the state of Jharkhand, India, has been studied by economists Jean-Marie Baland, Timothée Demont, and Rohini Somanathan. After six years of operation, the program has increased school enrollment by 40%. However, it remains ineffective in reducing child labor. These results can further help us understand how microcredit works.

NOVEMBER 9, 2021

Dialogues économiques

Compétences socio-émotionnelles : faut-il avoir une famille nombreuse ?

Qualifications are not everything in the job market. Knowing how to be patient, work in a team, and manage your emotions are all highly valued skills. These so-called non-cognitive or social-emotional skills are developed during a key period in our life: childhood. Economists Simon Briole, Hélène Le Forner, and Anthony Lepinteur reveal in a recent study how sibling size influences the development of social-emotional skills and has the dependent variable of gender.

OCTOBER 26, 2021

Dialogues économiques

Voting When Conflicted

When you step into a voting booth, you are faced with a choice: who do you vote for? What happens to people who share the ideas of several parties at once? How can these people influence elections? These are the questions that Sacha Bourgeois-Gironde and João V. Ferreira answer in an article that examines how individuals divided between several ideologies can impact elections.

OCTOBER 12, 2021

Dialogues économiques

Collective Decision: Preventing the Worst from Happening

Should we wish for the best or focus on damage control? From deciding who will sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, to choosing a cake for guests, or distributing a budget, the question is always there. Anna Bogomolnaia, Ron Holzman, and Hervé Moulin look at the mechanisms of decision-making and come up with ways to increase the guarantee that the worst will not happen.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

Dialogues économiques

Health economics - Interview with Bruno Ventelou

Bruno Ventelou (AMSE/CNRS), a health economist, talks about his research.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2021