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IFN was founded in 1939 – then named Industrial Institute for Economic and Social Research (IUI). This vital 75 year old was celebrated on Monday with a seminar. Three new books about the institute were presented and a short film about IFN was shown for the first time. The event also included a stage discussion on how economic research has developed over the past 75 years. Participants in this dialogue included current and former researchers: Karolina Ekholm, State Secretary, Magnus Henrekson, Professor and Managing Director IFN, Assar Lindbeck, Professor IFN and Stockholm University, and Birgitta Swedenborg, former VP SNS.

Luigi Zingales, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, is critical of crony capitalism, where special interests capture political decision-makers and regulators. Rather than creating favorable conditions for markets to flourish, this kind of capitalism entails subsidies, tax breaks, and reduced competition, which benefit large companies. November 6, Luigi Zingales spoke at a seminar in Stockholm organized by IFN. Christian Bjørnskov, Professor at the University of Aarhus and Magnus Henrekson, Professor and Managing Director of IFN, commented on and discussed the presentation.

The latest issue of Ekonomisk Debatt (No. 7/2014) presents several articles by IFN-economists: Magnus Henrekson and Tino Sanandaji write about how capital taxation on ownership affect corporate activities. Niclas Berggren and Therese Nilsson write an editorial piece about inequality. Assar Lindbeck comments on the research by the French economist Thomas Piketty.

In this podcast Gabriel Sahlgren, PhD student at London School of Economics and an affiliate of IFN, and Johan Wennström, PhD student at Linköping University and employed at IFN, talks about education in Swedish schools and research in this field. They agree that there are extensive problems in the Swedish education system. Both point to the fact that "student-centered teaching methods" may be a partial explanation for declining results. This kind of education has multiplied since the 1990s.

It is difficult to measure the quality in elderly care. The participants agreed on this at a seminar organized by the SNS on the report Att styra och leda äldreomsorg. Hur går det till och vad kan förbättras?. (To govern and manage in elderly care. How does it work and what can be improved?) The report is part of IFN and SNS joint research program From welfare state to a welfare society. The study is authored by Henrik Jordahl and Jannis Angelis, IFN. Gun-Britt Trydegård, Stockholm University, commented on the report, which she called "exemplary". Corresponding studies in the fields of healthcare and education will be published in 2015.

Niklas Elert and Özge Öner have recently beenbrought on as researchers at IFN. Niklas Elert received his doctorate in economics in September 2014 at Örebro University. The title of his dissertation is Economic Dynamism - Essays on Firm Entry and Firm Growth, and it addresses two key aspects of economic dynamics: creation and business growth, 1997 to 2010. Özge Öner received her doctorate in May 2014 at the International Business School in Jönköping. The topic of her dissertation is Retail Location. Her research interests include urban and regional economics, the geography of retail, as well as service and tourism.

Ewa Lazarczyk received her doctorate degree September 4 with the thesis Essays on Electricity Markets: Information and Trading. With a master's degree from the Warsaw School of Economics, she came to the Stockholm School of Economics in 2008. Ewa Lazarczyk is associated with IFN's research program The Economics of Electricity Markets.
 

Costs started to soar in the 70s, explained Andreas Bergh and Assar Lindbeck at a seminar organized by IFN, when discussing about the Swedish welfare state. They agreed that the Swedish welfare system in some parts, needs to be reformed. "Though, it is difficult for politicians to reform without a crisis," said Lindbeck. At the seminar a new book authored by Andreas Bergh was presented and discussed – Sweden and the Revival of the Capitalist Welfare State. Irene Wennemo, editorial writer for Dagens Arena also participated in the debate.

In a brand new book Johan Wennström, IFN, uncovers how politicians from both left and right undermined the professional pride and independence of Swedish schoolteachers for decades. According to the author, this has contributed to both the decline of the teaching profession in Sweden and the drop in knowledge among Swedish students. At a seminar in Stockholm, the book was discussed by Anna Ekström, Director General of the National Agency for Education, and Jonas Vlachos, an educational researcher affiliated with IFN and Stockholm University.

Political power around the world is mostly in the hands of white middle-aged men. This fact might point to the existence of such a glass ceiling for other groups. In a new study Olle Folke and Johanna Rickne, IFN, research the existence of a glass ceiling. The researchers are studying whether a limit exists for women, and/or for the first and second generation of immigrants to Swedish municipalities. They have found a glass ceiling for women and a "sticky floor" for the current immigrant groups.

In the newly published book Sweden and the Revival of the Capitalist Welfare State, Andreas Bergh, IFN and Lund’s University, explains how a country can successfully combine increasing prosperity with a relatively egalitarian distribution. Unlike the French economist Thomas Piketty, Bergh shows that "the successful recipe of Sweden is not to tax capital highly, but rather to provide efficient, capitalist institutions that allow a redistributive welfare state".

Today the Swedish education system is disputed and the pro-choice/voucher-system in particular – allowing parents and students the choice between any public or private school. In National Review Online Tino Sanandaji, IFN, argues that Sweden has an education crises, but it was not caused by school choice. “There is no doubt that the voucher reform was poorly implemented, but this doesn’t change the fact that the reform worked.” Also Gabriel Heller Sahlgren, affiliated to IFN, is debating the Swedish voucher-system in British media.

A number of researchers from IFN participated in seminars and debates during the the Almedal week. Several of them commented on a range of issues in television: Andreas Bergh was featured in SVT's morning show and discussed the French economist Thomas Pikettys theories. Magnus Henrekson "grilled" Anders Wallner (MP) in SVT and discussed taxes in EFN television. Johanna Rickne gave an economist's view of Fredrik Reinfeldt's televized speech.

The Swedish self-image as a future knowledge-driven economy is quite feasible to implement. Though, it requires a number of changes, writes Magnus Henrekson, IFN, in the book Position Sverige – Om innovation, hållbarhet och arbetsmarknad, presented in Almedalen last Tuesday (July 1). He explained that Sweden ranks high in terms of innovations and patents. But we are not good at the next step: Through entrepreneurship and by building businesses, translating patents and innovations into high-growth companies. This requires a series of reforms.

A report written by Jannis Angelis and Henrik Jordahl, IFN was presented by SNS at a well-attended seminar during the first day of a week of policymaking and debate in Almedalen. The report – Att styra och leda äldreomsorg (Leadership and management in geriatric care) is part of the joint IFN and SNS research project called From welfare state to a welfare society. "Larger [private] firms stand out," explained Henrik Jordahl in Almedalen. These companies are paramount in regards to controlling and managing the production. But, he said, the range is large between and also within all modes of operation: local government, non-profit and for-profit businesses.

Gabriel H. Sahlgren, Director of Research at the Centre for Market Reform of Education and Affiliated to IFN, is editor and co-author of Tests worth teaching to: incentivising quality in qualifications and accountability. Diversity in qualifications and examinations (carried out by examination boards) is a unique feature of the UK.

Entrepreneurship was the theme of a seminar that IFN arranged Tuesday. Besides Magnus Henrekson and Joacim Tåg, IFN, Lena Apler, Chairman Collector, was part of the panel. In an introductory presentation explained Magnus Henrekson that "entrepreneurship is not about small business, but the emergence of new major corporations". Four-fifths of the self-employed have not any employees and small ambitions to grow. Henrekson commented on the economist in vogue Thomas Piketty's theories: "Piketty agree that entrepreneurs are innovative and create value, but believes they are only a few." This does not correspond with reality, he explained.

I have come to find out what others are working on and to get feedback on my own work, said Frank A. Wolak, Stanford University when asked about IFN's annual international research conference held in Vaxholm. On an annual basis a group of international scholars are invited to join researchers from IFN to discuss their own and others' research. The theme of the conference this year (June 12-13) was "The Performance of Electricity Markets." Researchers from eight countries participated in the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

"Elections in 2014 – advice by economists" is the theme of a new issue of Ekonomisk Debatt. Seven economists write about a number of hot topics, for example low teacher salaries that could be an explanation for the poor results in Swedish schools. They also give advice in regards to the importance of geographical clusters for business, the need for an ambitious climate policy and a new tax reform. The latter article was written by Åsa Hansson, IFN. Andreas Bergh, IFN, writes on "Difficulties for foreign-born in the Swedish labor market – solutions suggested by the political parties are inadequate."

Maps of segregation were generated by the Liberal Party (Folkpartiet) until 2006, when there were 156 Swedish so called exclusion areas, i.e., neighborhoods characterized by profound socio-economic problems. Now, IFN-researcher Tino Sanandaji, in a report for Den Nya Välfärden, has replicated the FP method and updated the map for 2012. It turns out that the number of exclusion areas has increased to 186. Though, Tino Sanandaji explains that this increase has been slower during the Alliansen government compared to Görans Persson's (Social Democrats) last term in office. Moreover, there are some encouraging signs, including that the number of families receiving income support has dropped slightly in the exclusion areas.