Family Stability and Labor Market Gender Convergence
The present paper examines the historical development in the structure of the family in terms of marriage, divorce, fertility and labor 1886-2007 in order to map quantitative changes. The paper draws new information from novel Norwegian data. Along with the changing family relations we also quantify the closing of the gender gap by converging trends for both labor participation rates and wages. The paper concludes that there is a clear correspondence between gender convergence in the labor market and less stable family relations.
Price Stability and Inflation Persistence During the International Gold Standard: The Scandinavian Case
In the 1870s the three Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden formed the Scandinavian Currency Union. Both the adoption of gold and the monetary union were supposed to lead to price stability in and between these countries. By drawing on new indices of consumer prices the present paper offers an examination of inflation dynamics, defined as price stability and inflation persistence, in the periphery of Scandinavia during the heyday of the international gold standard.
A Long Term View on the Short Term Co-movement of Output and Prices in a Small Open Economy
- One assumption behind inflation targeting as objective for monetary policy is that inflation rates in the short run to some extent reflect output cycles. The present paper investigates the historical co-movements of output and prices for a small open raw material based economy, in this case Norway 1830 – 2006. Looking at contemporaneous movements we find more often negative correlations between the two variables than positive. The correlations do not give any evidence of causality. However, they may indicate that supply side shocks, often caused by the foreign sector, were more important for historical output cycles in Norway than assumed hitherto
An anatomy of financial crises in Norway, 1830-2010
Author's version of an article in the journal: Financial History Review. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0968565013000279 On the basis of a novel dataset, the article investigates the anatomy of financial crises in Norway from 1830 to 2010. First, nine significant crises are identified. Second, the article examines spillover effects on the real economy. We find a clear but not symmetric relationship. Third, the article investigates key patterns in credit and money volumes. Major financial crises typically occurred after substantial money and credit expansion, causing financial instability.
Public policy, resource rent and ethics: The case of the Norwegian petroleum industry
The present paper seeks to explain how ethics and values in public policy can be result of different historical contingencies. Specifically, it explains the accomplishment of petroleum resource management in Norway. The main argument is that the success of this policy is an understanding of the ethics behind harvesting the resource rent of this non-renewable natural resource. To support the argument, the paper firstly describes a model of Recardian resource rent. Secondly, it investigates the set of values that were in place before the petroleum production started in the 1970s, as described in the influential white paper, “The role of petroleum activities in the Norwegian Society,” publishe…
A Chronology of Financial Crises for Norway
The paper offers a chronology of financial crises in Norway from her independence in 1814 till present times. Firstly, business cycles, covering almost two hundred years of economic history are mapped. These reveal years of crises in the real economy. These seem to coincide with most of the major financial crises. Secondly, the paper the financial crises are described chronologically. Thirdly, the paper investigates key patterns in credit and money volumes. It concludes that major financial crises typically took place after substantial money and credit expansion causing financial instability, loss of long term equilibriums, overheating and bubbles followed by severe meltdowns in the economy.
Ethics, resource rent, environment and petroleum policy: the case of a small open economy
This paper contributes to the understanding of how the environment, ethics, values, and historical contingencies shape public policy. It explains the accomplishment of petroleum resource management in the small open economy of Norway. The study is conducted by mapping policy decisions and the arguments behind them regarding environmental and ethical issues. This is done by studying available governmental and parliamentary papers along with statements from politicians and central governmental officials. The paper also seeks to illuminate some of the decisions by quantitative measures. The paper firstly describes a model of Ricardian resource rent. Secondly, it investigates the set of values …