Jon H. Fiva

Jon H. Fiva is a Professor of Economics at the Norwegian Business School (BI), where he teaches econometrics and causal inference. His research primarily focuses on political economy, with specific interest in representation, political careers, intra-party dynamics, and electoral institutions. He also conducts research in labor economics and health economics. His work has been published in leading journals including American Political Science Review, Journal of Public Economics, and Economic Journal.

Education:

• Ph.D (Dr. Oecon.) from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2006)
• Master (Cand. Polit.) from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2003)
• Bachelor from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2000)

Professor Fiva's research examines how electoral institutions shape political outcomes and how political representation impacts policy. His work frequently employs natural experiments and causal inference methods to study political selection, career progression of politicians, and intra-party dynamics. He has made significant contributions to understanding gender differences in political careers, particularly regarding the impact of parenthood on women's political participation, as well as voter mobilization through social networks and the effects of electoral systems on political behavior.

Fiva's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on political representation and electoral systems, with particular attention to proportional representation. His research often leverages unique institutional features in Norway's electoral system to establish causal relationships. Many studies employ regression discontinuity designs and exploit natural experiments to examine questions about political careers, party discipline, and bureaucratic behavior.

Scientific Awards:

• Jack Walker Best Article Award 2022 (for 'Seniority-based Nominations and Political Careers')
• SJE prize for best paper of 2015 (for 'Causal Effects of Paternity Leave on Children and Parents')

Professor Fiva is currently leading a major research project on 'the dynamics of political selection' funded by the Norwegian Research Council. This project examines what determines the career progression of individual politicians, how political parties share power internally, and how effective democratic systems are in filtering individuals with criminal backgrounds from political office. He has developed several important datasets for political science research, including the Local Government Dataset, Local Candidate Dataset, and Norwegian Parliamentary Elections dataset.

His research collaborations span multiple institutions, including CESifo, ESOP, and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of his work at the intersection of political science and economics.