By Sigurd S. Arntzen, Jon H. Fiva, Rune J. Sørensen

This paper assesses the effectiveness of democratic systems in preventing individuals with criminal backgrounds from holding political office. Unlike many countries, Norway has no legal restrictions against felons running for office. We analyze local election candidates from 2003 to 2019, paired with administrative records of criminal offenses. We demonstrate that individuals with criminal records are systematically penalized at every stage of their political careers. Candidates are less likely to have criminal records than the general population, with elected officials less likely to have criminal backgrounds than their unelected peers, and mayors being the most lawful. Through a series of counterfactual exercises, we demonstrate that the most significant reduction in criminal involvement occurs at the nomination stage, especially within established local party organizations.

CESifo, Munich, 2024, 49 p.

By Jeffrey Rosen

Virtue and Happiness: The book explores how classical writers onvirtue, such as Cicero, inspired the Founding Fathers of America andshaped their understanding of happiness.

Founders' Virtues: It discusses the virtues that key figures like BenjaminFranklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams valued and practiced, suchas temperance, humility, and industry.

Historical Influence: The text highlights how ancient wisdom and philosophical works influenced the development of American political thought and the pursuit of happiness.

References: The document contains numerous references to classical and Enlightenment philosophers, as well as historical texts that shaped the Founders' ideas.

Simon and Schuster, Feb 13, 2024, 355 pages