Voters’ perceptions of the economic outcomes of independence played an important role in the result of Scotland’s referendum in 2014. Following Brexit, the debate is no longer just about Scotland’s relationship with the rest of the UK, but also the European Union. Scottish voters’ evaluations of the economic consequences of independence played a central role […]
Category: Attitudes, media & governance
Existing agreements between Ukraine and the EU have already promoted substantial trade flows. Accession would have bigger implications for freedom of movement of capital and workers – investment inflows and migration outflows. These areas are where negotiations are likely to focus. On 28 February 2022, only a few days after the Russian invasion began, Ukraine’s […]
Whether encouraging citizens to pay taxes, get vaccinated or obey the rule of law, governments can achieve more from compliance than coercion. Given recent political scandals around the world, including those in the UK, rebuilding trust will be vital for tackling future crises. Trust is essential for governance, and it is therefore necessary for governments […]
Coronavirus has exposed the world’s population to an extreme degree of uncertainty in all dimensions of life. How does this unprecedented global event influence our risk-taking – and how can we measure it reliably? Our experience of ‘risk’ is changing dramatically. Decisions that we never considered risky before the coronavirus have suddenly entered the forefront […]
Governments make policy decisions involving trade-offs between different outcomes that vary in their mortality risks. These trade-offs have become more pronounced with Covid-19, which also highlights limitations of some of the metrics used, such as the value of a statistical life. The valuation of life is required for analyses that aim to compare the costs […]
How we feel has a strong influence on what we do – and perhaps even more so during a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic. An understanding of how emotions function is crucial if we are to guide more effective policy-making. In particular, we must stay alert to the dangers of fear. Emotions play a pivotal […]
The coronavirus pandemic is changing the UK immigration debate, with tensions between requirements for stricter controls and greater recognition of key workers, many of whom are migrants. How will the crisis affect public attitudes to immigration? Brexit reshaped the debate around immigration and led to proposals to introduce an Australian-style skills-based immigration system. The Covid-19 […]
Policy-makers, scientists and the public are engaged in heated debates about the right responses to Covid-19. In making decisions on such matters as school re-opening or mandatory mask wearing, we need a way to measure both the benefits and the economic and psychological costs. The global pandemic has galvanised governments, public health agencies, scientists and […]
With infectious diseases like Covid-19, how one person behaves necessarily affects other people’s wellbeing – there are what economists call ‘externalities’. To achieve good overall outcomes for society, it is not enough to rely on individuals’ incentives to protect themselves. In a recent podcast, the former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher discussed his take on wearing […]
People’s compliance with lockdown, social distancing instructions and other protective measures are influenced by their beliefs, expectations and concern for others. Insights from behavioural economics can help in the design of effective policies. To mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is necessary that people change their daily behaviour. This process can be helped […]