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Big ideas

Non-technical overviews of the big ideas that have underpinned CEP work since its launch in 1990.

Photo of school road sign. Published under CC0 Public Domain. https://unsplash.com/photos/uq7q2hZQEEE
Big ideas: valuing schooling through house prices

Steve Gibbons describes the development of CEP research showing how much house prices are boosted by the quality of local schools. Read more...
Photo of roadmarking saying 'happiness.' Published under CC0 Public Domain. From https://unsplash.com/photos/jj4x2mlEYQ0
Big ideas: wellbeing and public policy

Richard Layard outlines the development of CEP research on what makes people happy and how society might best be organised to promote happiness. Read more...

All Big ideas

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: valuing schooling through house prices

Steve Gibbons describes the development of CEP research showing how much house prices are boosted by the quality of local schools...Read more...

Stephen Gibbons

20 September 2012

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: wellbeing and public policy

Richard Layard outlines the development of CEP research on what makes people happy and how society might best be organised to promote happiness....Read more...

Richard Layard

16 February 2012

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: Innovation Policy

In the last CentrePiece, John Van Reenen stressed the importance of competition and labour market flexibility for productivity growth. His latest in CEP's 'big ideas' series describes the impact of research on how policy...Read more...

John Van Reenen

26 October 2011

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: How competition improves management and productivity

John Van Reenen sketches the evolution of CEP research on the drivers of productivity growth - and its impact on policies to foster competition....Read more...

John Van Reenen

June 2011

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: economic geography

Henry Overman sketches the evolution of CEP research on why prosperity is so unevenly distributed across cities, regions and nations...Read more...

Henry G. Overman

March 2011

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: The UK's National Minimum Wage

Alan Manning describes CEP's role in providing the intellectual context for the policy, advising on its implementation and evaluating its impact....Read more...

Alan Manning

October 2009

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: education

Sandra McNally surveys CEP evaluations of a wide range of school policies in the UK....Read more...

Sandra McNally

June 2009

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: intergenerational mobility

Jo Blanden traces the evolution of CEP research on social mobility and its interaction with policy debate....Read more...

Jo Blanden

March 2009

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: rising wage inequality

Stephen Machin surveys CEP's pathbreaking research findings on wage inequality....Read more...

Stephen Machin

October 2008

CentrePiece article
Big ideas: unemployment and welfare to work

To illustrate CEP's impact on public policy and debate, John Van Reenen introduces and presents the first in a series of 'big ideas', surveying the significant research findings that have emerged from the Centre over the...Read more...

John Van Reenen

May 2008