Maximiliano Sosa Andrés defends his thesis "A Risky and Polarized World: Essays on Uncertainty, Ideology and Foreign Policy"

In the dissertation, which consists of four articles, Maximiliano investigates topics that revolve around understanding uncertainty in economic outcomes and the roles institutions can play in influencing policy and reducing uncertainty.

The first chapter shows how a global uncertainty shock can impact decision-making. In particular, Maximiliano examines whether risk aversion and higher-order risk attitudes (prudence and temperance) changed because of COVID-19. In the second chapter, Maximiliano provides a new Legal Uncertainty Index based on legal texts. The analysis provides some evidence that institutional design can affect legal uncertainty. In chapter 3, Maximiliano goes deeper in this analyzes and shows how a divided government can impact ideology and policy implementation at the national level. Finally, in chapter 4 he extends the analysis to the international arena by showing how the institutional design of the United Nations and ideology have an impact over international policy.

Discussant:
Associate Professor Pilar Sorribas-Navarro, University of Barcelona

Grading committee:
Professor Robert Östling, Department of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics

Professor Lisa Hultman, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University

Professor Mikael Carlsson, Department of Economics, Uppsala University

Supervisors:
Professor Eva Mörk och Associate Professor Luca Repetto