Jari Eloranta on Beyond guns and butter: Finnish Central Government spending patterns in the 20th Century

Jari Eloranta will present at the WIDER Seminar Series on 8 June 2022.

Beyond guns and butter: Finnish Central Government spending patterns in the 20th Century

Abstract

This paper explains the long-run demand for central government spending in Finland by analyzing quantitative and qualitative changes in the spending behavior, examining possible links between variables in a VAR-framework, and performing multivariate analysis of the demand factors. The results was shoved that a explained by a lack of military versus social spending tradeoff effect. Even though certain other variables were found to be relevant in explaining this demand, this lack of a tradeoff increased the Finnish spending levels substantially during the twentieth centurt welfare state expansion.

About the Speaker

Jari Eloranta is a professor of economic history at the University of Helsinki. He has a dissertation in economic history from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, on "The Demand for External Security by Domestic Choices: Military Spending as an Impure Public Good among Eleven European States, 1920-1938."

WIDER Seminar Series

The WIDER Seminar Series showcases the latest research on key topics in development economics. It provides a forum for for visiting scholars, UNU-WIDER researchers, external researchers, policymakers and industry specialists to present their research.

In addition to providing a forum for both academic debate and training, the series presents an opportunity for policymakers and others interested in development to learn about the latest research methods and findings.

The WIDER Seminar Series events take place on Wednesdays. All those interested are invited to register and attend via Zoom.