There is no universal cure for global economy. Each country’s economy needs specific tools for recovery. Salvatore Rossi, Deputy Director General of the Bank of Italy, spoke at the HSE Banking Institute

Material well-being, a good education, extensive social ties, and having free time at one’s disposal – these are the characteristics of the consumer who prefers online shopping. And one out of ten internet users in Russia fits this description, says Natalia Firsova, discussing the findings of her research

Despite the fact that the government is spending increasingly more to oversee businesses, compliance with the country’s laws is decreasing. The huge number of incidents involving businesses being punished “by mistake” is negating the benefits of the rule of the law

With rising incomes, people are less accepting of war. In recent decades in Russia, as in many countries around the world, the number of citizens willing to give their lives for their country has declined. These are findings of joint research by Ronald Inglehart and HSE

Married men, on average, earn more than single men (a phenomenon known as the 'marriage premium'). Which comes first, higher earnings or marriage? This question is explored in a paper by A. Aistov and N. Kovalenko which was presented at the XIV April Conference

The ideas of freedom and democracy are at the core of the most successful parts of human civilization today. Can modern Catholicism and Orthodoxy find a way to unite around these ideas? Maxim Bogachev from the HSE raised this question in his paper to the HSE April Conference.

The country needs a new model of development, but this requires serious institutional changes. Officials are not interested in this, although the current policy of living ‘beyond the country’s means’ threatens to bring about serious social protest. These were the conclusions of the recent roundtable on ‘Scenarios of Russian economic development up to 2030’ at the HSE April Conference

Well developed telecommunications, and population density increase the chances of people taking part in public protests. Bad weather, poor salaries and the repressive habits of the authorities decrease them. So Anton Sobolev reported his findings to the XIV April Conference at HSE

What can and should be done to decrease the pressure law enforcement authorities exerton business? Should the whole law enforcement system be changed or the legal penalties for entrepreneurs softened? Highlights from a discussion club session of the Association of Independent Centers of Economic Analysis on the topic of ‘The Law Enforcement System and Business in Russia: Direct and Indirect Costs’are described below. The session featured special experts Ella Paneyakh and Andrey Nazarov.

Traditionally, the falsification of an election involves filling ballot boxes with fake ballot papers. International researchers at the HSE analyzed another mechanism which can be used to distort the election process: pressure on employers and employees. The following is a review of apaper by Timothy Frye, Ora John Reuter, and David Szakonyi

Russians are more concerned about material success than self-realization, in spite of a global shift from survival values to self-expression values. ‘Happiness in Russia in Comparative Perspective’, is a paper by Edouard Ponarin, Director of the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR)

Compared with large companies, small and medium-sized businesses in Russia find it easier to avoid complying with the country’s strict labor legislation because they are able to skirt its regulations. Meanwhile, large companies, which ensure they abide by the law, offset their extra costs by paying lower wages. Here are some findings from “Employment Legislation as a Factor of Employer Behaviour”, a research paper by Olga Mironenko