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Panu Poutvaara

University of Munich, Ifo Institute, and IZA, Germany

This is a very valuable resource for academic researchers, applied economists, and policymakers

IZA World of Labor role

Author

Current position

Professor, University of Munich and Director of the Ifo Center for International Institutional Comparisons and Migration Research, Germany

Research interest

Public economics, political economics, labor economics, migration, education, social security, electoral competition

Website

http://bit.ly/Poutvaara_IZApage

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Member of The Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration (In the past: Expert, Finnish Parliament; Expert, a committee of the Finnish Ministry of Finance)

Past positions

Professor, Department of Economics, University of Helsinki (2005–2006; 2006–2010); Research Fellow, Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) (2002–2005); Visiting Fellow, Harvard University (1999–2000)

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University of Helsinki, 2002

Selected publications

  • “Self-selection of emigrants: Theory and evidence on stochastic dominance in observable and unobservable characteristics.” Economic Journal 129 (2019): 143–171 (with G. J. Borjas and I. Kauppinen).

  • “Immigration, search, and redistribution: A quantitative assessment of native welfare.” Journal of the European Economic Association 16 (2019): 1137–1188 (with M. Battisti, G. Felbermayr, and G. Peri).

  • “Pay for politicians and candidate selection: An empirical analysis.” Journal of Public Economics 95 (2011): 877–885 (with K. Kotakorpi).

  • “The looks of a winner: Beauty and electoral success.” Journal of Public Economics 94 (2010): 8–15 (with N. Berggren and H. Jordahl).

  • “Public and private education in an integrated Europe: Studying to migrate and teaching to stay?” Scandinavian Journal of Economics 110 (2008): 591–608.

article(s)

  • Public sector outsourcing Updated

    The desirability of outsourcing the provision of public services depends on their characteristics and market conditions

    Panu PoutvaaraHenrik Jordahl, November 2020
    The decision to outsource public provision of services is multifaceted and context dependent. Doing so tends to lower labor intensity and increase its efficiency. Costs are usually lower, but quality problems can affect services like health care, though consumer choice has stimulated innovation and quality in both education and health care. Natural monopolies are less suitable for outsourcing, while network services (public transportation) may be outsourced through public tenders. Though some jobs may be lost in the short term, the long-term effects are generally positive for a wide variety of activities.
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  • How do candidates’ looks affect their election chances?

    Looks matter and can tip the scales between the right and left

    Panu Poutvaara, June 2017
    Good-looking political candidates win more votes around the world. This holds for both male and female candidates. Candidate appearance may be especially important for uninformed voters, as it is easy to observe. Voters may favor good-looking candidates because they expect them to be more competent or persuasive, but it can also be that voters simply enjoy laying their eyes on beautiful politicians. As politicians on the right have been deemed more attractive in Europe, the US, and Australia, the importance of beauty in politics favors conservative parties. A related finding is that voters use beauty as a cue for conservatism.
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