register
Robert MacCulloch

University of Auckland, New Zealand

The IZA World of Labor series helps IZA to become even more influential by bolstering its credentials as a policy relevant think tank, in addition to being a research institute

IZA World of Labor role

Author, Topic spokesperson

Current position

Matthew S. Abel Chair in Macroeconomics, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Research interest

Labor economics, public finance, public economics

Website

https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/r-macculloch/about

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Academic Advisor to the New Zealand Government

Past positions

Research Fellow, The Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, USA; Professor of Economics, The Business School, Imperial College London, UK

Qualifications

PhD Economics, University of Oxford, 1997

Selected publications

  • “The macroeconomics of happiness.” Review of Economics and Statistics 85:4 (2003): 809–827 (with R. Di Tella and A. Oswald).

  • “Why doesn’t capitalism flow to poor countries?” Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 40:1 (2009): 285–332 (with R. Di Tella).

  • “The roles of freedom, growth, and religion in the taste for revolution.” Journal of Law and Economics 53:2 (2010): 329–358 (with S. Pezzini).

  • “Preferences over inflation and unemployment: Evidence from surveys of happiness.” American Economic Review 91:1 (2001): 335–341 (with R. Di Tella and A. Oswald).

  • “Partisan social happiness.” Review of Economic Studies 72:2 (2005): 367–393 (with R. Di Tella).

article(s)

  • Can “happiness data” help evaluate economic policies?

    “Happiness data” may help assess the welfare effects of a new labor market policy, like a change in benefit generosity

    Robert MacCulloch, January 2016
    Imagine a government confronted with a controversial policy question, like whether it should cut the level of unemployment benefits. Will social welfare rise as a result? Will some groups be winners and other groups be losers? Will the welfare gap between the employed and unemployed increase? “Happiness data” offer a new way to make these kinds of evaluations. These data allow us to track the well-being of the whole population, and also sub-groups like the employed and unemployed people, and correlate the results with relevant policy changes.
    MoreLess