Cutting the maximum speed on roads and lowering rail fares only reduces fuel consumption by 2-3% (A.Matas, J.Asensio and A.Gómez-Lobo)
The measures implemented by the Spanish government in 2011 to reduce fuel consumption fell well short of their stated objectives of cutting gasoline use by 15% and diesel use by 11%. Cutting the maximum speed on motorways from 120 to 110 km/h and lowering rail fares by 5% (on local and regional lines) reduced…
The origins of the gap between English and Asian pupils in mathematics can be traced back to primary school (A. Choi and J.Jerrim)
The sizeable gap in the mathematics skills of English pupils and those from East Asia first emerges at primary school or even earlier. Between the ages of 10 and 15, however, the gap remains relatively constant. Moreover, the mathematics skills of the highest achieving 16-year-old English pupils lag two years behind those of the…
The IEB to organize a meeting of academics and government representatives to analyze the barriers to business innovation (30 May)
The Barcelona Economics Institute is organizing a meeting entitled Business Innovation: Barriers and Public Policies (30 May) to analyze the obstacles companies have to overcome when they seek to innovate. These barriers include the difficulties firms encounter in accessing financial resources – an obstacle that has become even greater during the current crisis; the…
Paula Salinas and Javier Asensio (IEB), winners of awards from the Sociedad Económica Barcelonesa de Amigos del País
The economist, Paula Salinas (UB-IEB), has won the 2013 Alexandre Pedrós Prize in public economics for her study "Key questions to ensure the success of education decentralization. Evidence from OECD countries". The paper analyzes why countries that have decentralized their education systems obtain better academic results. The Alexandre Pedrós Prize is awarded to the best…
Costs and benefits of being a capital or central municipality in Spain (N.Bosch, M.Espasa, D.Montolio)
The centrality characteristics of large municipalities in Spain (with more than 75,000 inhabitants) increase their expenditure needs; yet, they have a positive impact on their fiscal capacity. As such, centrality implies certain additional costs, but it also brings some benefits. By contrast, the capital status of a municipality seems to generate mainly costs; that…
The IEB and the department of Public Economics at UB invite applications for a post-doctoral researcher
