In recognition of his innovative contributions to political economics, Assistant Professor Jaakko Meriläinen has been named the recipient of the 2024 SSE Corporate Partners' Research Award. The prestigious award, which includes a grant of 100,000 SEK, was presented by SSE President Lars Strannegård.

SSE met with Jaakko for a short interview on the award and what motivates him.

How did you learn that you had received the award and how did you feel?

I had been teaching in the morning and not checking my email. When I went to pick up my colleague Tore Ellingsen for lunch, he asked me with a very serious face: "Have you checked your email?" My first thought was of course that perhaps I was in some sort of trouble. I was very positively surprised when I opened my messages and found out about the news. Receiving this prize felt — and still feels — like such a big honor.

Why do you think you were selected as the recipient of the Corporate Partner Research Award 2024?

I would like to think that this reflects the importance and relevance of the questions I have been working on. Much of my research seeks to shed light on the conditions under which societies can overcome both historical and contemporary challenges to achieve better governance, stronger institutions, and greater trust in democracy, and so on.

One strand of my research, cited in the motivation for the prize, examines long-term processes of economic and political development through the lens of history. By analyzing historical data, I have, for example, aimed to uncover the forces that have transformed once poor and unequal societies into flourishing democracies characterized by prosperity and relatively low levels of inequality. Understanding these trajectories is crucial, not only for their historical relevance but also for the lessons they provide for today's developing nations.

Another strand, also mentioned in the prize motivation, focuses on contemporary challenges surrounding political representation. Across democracies, trust in politicians and government has been eroding, driven by perceptions of incompetence, dishonesty, and self-interest. This decline in trust has been exacerbatedby the rise of populist movements that challenge established governing elites. Some of my recent research seeks to understand the feasibility of achieving high-quality political representation and the mechanisms that shape the selection of politicians.

What motivates you?

What motivates me is the genuine excitement I feel about all aspects of my work. Political economics is full of big questions that still lack good answers. While I may never solve many of them, the possibility of contributing to their solutions keeps me moving forward. I am fortunate to work with fantastic colleagues and collaborators who challenge and inspire me. At the end of the day, teaching and supervising students are probably the most important parts of my job, and working with them is a constant source of motivation.

Jury’s motivation

Jaakko Meriläinen expertly combines micro-econometric methods with rich historical data to study political institutions and their interaction with economic development. He is unusually prolific, and his research spans widely. For example, he has provided evidence that electing more competent politicians improves fiscal sustainability without undermining public goods and services provision. In a study of the long-run consequences of the 1866–1868 famine in Finland, he documents that the famine increased inequality in the short to medium run, but that the resulting political conflict caused radical land reform and reduced long-run inequality.

About SSE Corporate Partners' Research Award

The Corporate Partners' Research Award was established in 2003 to further enhance research at SSE. The award is given to a promising researcher who is successful in his or her area of research and has contributed to the development of knowledge within their discipline.