SPIRe\u2019s week ten seminar will feature SPIRe\u2019s Drs. Samuel Brazys and Niamh Hardiman presenting on their research on \u201cFrom Tiger to PIIGS.\u00a0 Ireland and the use of heuristics in comparative political economy.\u201d from 12:00-13:00 Wednesday, April 17th\u00a0 in G316 Newman Building, UCD Belfield.\u00a0 All are welcome.<\/p>\n
Abstract<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe PIIGS are\u2026\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThe BRICS will\u2026\u201d \u201cThe LDCs can\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Heuristics pervade the lexicon of international and comparative political economy.\u00a0 Grouping actors based on perceived or observed characteristics can facilitate discussion and analysis.\u00a0 However, an over-reliance on heuristics can also lead to sloppy or improper narratives where the heuristics<\/i> help drive common observed outcomes.\u00a0 In this paper we look at the narrative construction of the \u201cPIIGS\u201d (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain) group and trace how it was that Ireland became a member of this (in)famous grouping.\u00a0 We examine the process by which the group came into being, and assess the merits for classifying the countries together.\u00a0 We then perform simple empirical tests and find evidence of Granger causality that increased media usage of the term \u201cPIIGS\u201d precedes <\/i>an increased similarity in interest rate correlations between Ireland and the other PIIGS compared to the interest rate correlations between Ireland and the \u201cnorthern\u201d euro-zone economies.\u00a0 We conclude with more general thoughts and cautions on the use of heuristics in comparative political economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SPIRe\u2019s week ten seminar will feature SPIRe\u2019s Drs. Samuel Brazys and Niamh Hardiman presenting on their research on \u201cFrom Tiger to PIIGS.\u00a0 Ireland and the use of heuristics in comparative political economy.\u201d from 12:00-13:00 Wednesday, April 17th\u00a0 in G316 Newman … Continue reading