Wednesday, August 12, 2020

If We May Only Compare Sweden to other Northern European Countries...

First read this.

Many people, including lots of my academic friends, think that when assessing Sweden's Covid-19 policies and outcomes, we are only allowed to compare it to Norway, Finland, and Denmark. We aren't allowed to extrapolate anything about what such policies might mean in any other country. 

Why, then, do these same people point favorably to other policies in Sweden and Norway, which they want, e.g., the US to copy? 

Henceforth, I'd like you to be very explicit. If, for example, you think Sweden's COVID-19 policies and outcomes have some racial or cultural component that makes comparisons to Denmark apt but comparisons to Belgium and Italy inapt, say so. But you'll then need to explain why this doesn't also apply to other policies you favor importing from Sweden. If it's not race and culture, what it is? Climate? Country size? Presence of reindeer?

On this note, here is the classic Alesina, Glaeser, and Sacerdote paper on why the US's ethnic diversity prevents it from having a European-style welfare state.