I examine the relationship between democracy and the perceived risk of corruption in a panel of 130 countries. My panel model controls for country fixed effects and enables the estimation of a within-country relationship between democracy and corruption. My main finding is that democracy...

Current trends in the distribution of wealth trigger a social divide and threaten democracy. I propose to counter this evolution by enhancing the role of public capital as a redistribution and empowerment device. The governance of public capital requires two novel institutions: a socially...

Current trends in the distribution of wealth trigger a social divide and threaten democracy in many advanced economies. I propose to counter this evolution by enhancing the role of public capital as a redistribution and empowerment device. The governance of public capital requires two novel...

In "Le capital au XXIème siècle" plädiert Thomas Piketty für eine drakonische Kapitalbesteuerung, um das Auseinanderdriften der Vermögen zu stoppen. Aber wegen ihrer schädlichen Anreizwirkung sind die von ihm anvisierten Steuersätze zu hoch. Eine Kombination aus niedrigeren Steuersätzen...

This paper represents an attempt to reconcile some general intuitions provided by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson in the book "Why Nations Fail" with the case of the deep regional disparities in the economic performances observed within the "Western" European Union during the period...