I combine economics and history to better understand the performance of firms, industries, economies and societies. I am particularly interested in learning from historical policy mistakes.
I also conduct pedagogical research on ways to integrate economic history into the economics curriculum. My book, An Economist's Guide to Economic History (co-edited with Matthias Blum), is available in paperback or eBook.
Research News
One Century of Terminations What causes publicly-listed corporations to fail? We investigate 100 years of data from the Netherlands to uncover the drivers behind corporate termination. Our findings suggest that business failure is closely intertwined with the evolving purpose of the corporation itself. Read the article (co-authored with Abe de Jong, Philip Fliers, and Florian Madertoner) in Business History.
Scarring and Selection in the Great Irish Famine We study the health impact of the Great Irish Famine by comparing cohorts born during the Famine with those born immediately before and immediately after. We find evidence of selection in the countryside and scarring in the city. Read the article (co-authored with Matthias Blum and Eoin McLaughlin) in The Economic History Review. Marvel at our copious appendices! And read our non-technical summary for RTÉ Brainstorm.
Patently Peculiar Together with Homer Wagenaar, I have a QUCEH working paper exploring how the patent system worked in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, a state that existed for just 15 years at the start of the nineteenth century. The one-line summary: the system's administrators had an unusual level of discretion over patent grants, but used this to develop an inclusive economic institution open to all, irrespective of ability to pay.
Patent Examination and Financing Innovation How does patent examination influence access to finance for innovative firms? Together with Stephen Billington and Christopher Coyle, I have a QUCEH working paper exploring this issue using the introduction for the first time of patent examination in the UK in 1905. The one-line summary: firms with examined patents are better able to access bond markets because of the improved signalling quality of patents.
Age heaping: What does it really mean? You can read my new article (with Stuart Henderson and Eoin McLaughlin) published in the European Review of Economic History on age heaping as an indicator of human capital. We have also written a commentary on the EHES blog and RTÉ Brainstorm, which is meant to spark debate on the future of age heaping as a human capital measure in economic history.
Mind Your Language! Why did Irish, the indigenous language of Ireland, fall into disuse in the nineteenth century? In a QUCEH working paper co-authored with Alan Fernihough and Eoin McLaughin, we conduct a quantitative analysis of the 1901 census to uncover that it is all about schooling. But not centrally-planned state-directed education policy.