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The pandemic has given them a boost. The economists’ union as a whole has spoken much more publicly than before. The director of the ETH Zurich Center for Economic Research made the biggest leap in the ranking of the most influential economic experts.
In recent years, criticism of economists has often been strong. It was said that they would sit in the ivory tower too often and contribute too little of their findings to public debate.
But during the Corona period, Swiss economists could not be accused of this. In the biggest economic crisis of the last decades, they made themselves heard with all kinds of advances: they warned of the economic costs of a confinement, made suggestions for the design of state aid or launched ideas of a “controlled pollution”.
Why the ranking?
Within science, the performance of research has some justification. But the work of most economists is largely funded by the general public. Therefore, this has a certain right to “consideration”.
To reward scientists who contribute to public debate, NZZ has published an “Economists Influence Ranking” every year since 2014. This joint project with Germany’s “FAZ” and Austrian “Presse” also takes into account performance. of the investigation, which represents half of the maximum possible number of points. But just as important is whether economists are visible in the media, inspire politicians, or influence debates on social media.
Researchers get involved
The good news from this year’s NZZ rankings lurks behind the individual locations. The economists’ guild as a whole has talked much more than before. From mid-2019 to mid-2020, the economists represented in the ranking were cited by the media about a third more often than in the previous year.
Both supply and demand may have played a role. In the existential crown crisis, many economists felt compelled to contribute their expertise. But there was probably great public interest too. I wanted to know what this crisis means economically and what is the best way to overcome it.
The ruler of all life
The corona effect has caused some changes in the 15 most influential economists. However, this could not harm Ernst Fehr. The professor from the University of Zurich has topped the ranking for the seventh time in a row, not only in Switzerland, but also in Germany and Austria.
The behavioral economist Ernst Fehr scores with his outstanding research work.
Fehr scores with his outstanding research work. He is a pioneer in the field of neuroeconomics and behavior, which studies how human psychology and biology affect economic decisions. Fehr is cited far more by colleagues than any other German-speaking economist. But the media and politicians also take up his ideas.
Fehr also spoke about the Corona crisis. He called for politics to test broad and representative sectors of the population as quickly as possible. This is the only way to acquire the necessary knowledge about the course of the pandemic. That may not sound surprising. But authorities haven’t heeded the demand even after months, and in many places testing is still being carried out selectively.
Success with unconventional ideas
Reiner Eichenberger, who, as in the previous year, was in second place, also exposed himself to the crown proposals. The Freiburg economist, with his unconventional ideas, which are largely based on traditional economic theory, has been popular with the media and politicians for years.
Reiner Eichenberger enriches the public debate with often unconventional suggestions.
In the Crown crisis, Eichenberger criticized from the outset that the Federal Council’s strategy was not sustainable and warned of the high economic and social costs of a shutdown. There is a need to focus more on immunizing the population and using it as a resource. This became known by the catchphrase “controlled infection.”
Third, Mathias Binswanger of the Northwestern Swiss University of Applied Sciences, opposed such “radical” solutions. The versatile and boisterous economist returned to the podium after a few years of interruption. Recently, however, his main topic was not so much Corona, but rather “growth pressure,” about which he published a book. Binswanger also inspires politicians in particular with his ideas.
Mathias Binswanger recently drew attention with his thesis on the “compulsion to grow up.”
Notable climbers
The most notable climber in the ranking is Jan-Egbert Sturm in fourth place. Sturm has long been one of the best-known economists in Switzerland, but the Corona crisis offered him a good platform. His experience as director of the economic research center at ETH Zurich was highly sought after in the media. He also heads the economic team of experts in the National Covid-19 Task Force, the scientific advisory body to the Federal Council.
Sturm was involved in the Corona debate from the beginning with economic policy proposals. Together with Hans Gersbach, in March he asked for a Swiss fund of 100 billion Swiss francs to support the economy. Later, he propagated the idea of higher corporate taxes for “crisis winners.”
A fellow specialist from ETH Zurich also entered the rankings for the first time thanks to the corona effect: Didier Sornette. So far, the strong investigative risk specialist has barely been in public. But earlier this year he commented on the risks of the corona pandemic, which pushed him up the ranking.
Tobias Straumann is also one of the climbers. Two years ago, the Zurich economic historian was still 27th in the ranking, now 6th. Straumann takes a broad stance in the media on economic issues, from the crown crisis to Swiss-Swiss relations. the EU and the slave trade. He also often makes historical comparisons.
Miscellaneous interference
Straumann lands right behind the dean of Swiss economics, Bruno S. Frey. Frey, who became known as a political economist and happiness researcher, was also heavily involved in the Corona debate. He warned from the outset, especially together with Zurich economist Margit Osterloh, of a “virocracy” and the economic costs of the shutdown and called for better political control of the Crown’s measures.
Finally, the other top 10 researchers intervened. Christoph Schaltegger from the University of Lucerne campaigned for the Swiss debt brake not to be lifted even during the Crown crisis. Monika Bütler of the University of St. Gallen weighed the health risks of the pandemic more strongly than many fellow specialists and advocated for an effective control strategy. Aymo Brunetti from the University of Bern, who, as a former chief economist in the federal government, is well connected in politics, helped shape the debate on the right kind of state aid for the economy.
Still, Swiss economists have made their voices heard in the Crown crisis.
Assistance: Stefan Häberli
The background of the ranking
■ Complete classification list for Switzerland
■ Top 10 in Germany and Austria
■ How the ranking was created
Results from previous years
■ «Economists influence ranking» 2019
■ «Economists influence ranking» 2018
■ “Ranking of influence of economists” 2017
■ “Ranking of influence of economists” 2016
■ “Economists influence ranking” 2015
■ “Ranking of influence of economists” 2014
