What is Ratio?
Ratio is an independent research institute and academic publishing house.

What does Ratio do research about?
We do research about:

• Entrepreneurship, the market economy and growth
• The conditions for enterprise – laws, rules and values
• How political change can be achieved

The focus is on multidisciplinary research in areas that are important for the development of society and that are not part of the research programmes of state-run universities and other research institutes. Special weight is put on research in institutional economics, public choice, law and economics and Schumpeterian theory. Altogether this gives us a unique profile. More information.

Which books are published?
The Ratio publishing house was started in 1978 and publishes current research volumes as well as classics in the social sciences, most notably economics. Between 1988 and 2002, the publishing was carried out by the now-closed City University of Stockholm and its publishing house City University Press. Today, the Ratio publishing house offers more than 60 titles of great relevance for anyone with a genuine interest in society.

Who stand behind Ratio?
The legal organisation of Ratio is a non-profit association with companies, organisations and individuals as members. Ratio is independent of all political parties.

Ratio was started in April 2002 on the initiative of Näringslivets Fond (The Swedish Free Enterprise Foundation). In April 2004 Ratio got a new legal form in that the non-profit association Näringslivets Fond changed names to Ratio, as well as statutes. Näringslivets Fond was started already in 1944.

Why was Ratio founded?
Research with Ratio's multidisciplinary focus on entrepreneurship, the market economy and the conditions of enterprise is not carried out to the extent we regard as desirable at the universities, colleges and other research institutes in Sweden. For example, only a fraction of the research in economics concerns questions of entrepreneurship and property rights.

Consequently, knowledge about the effects of institutional reforms is often missing for decision-makers in politics and business.

A basic idea of Ratio is that high-qualitative, relevant research also has the potential to affect public opinion, especially in the long run. Research has, through its production of new knowledge, in this sense a unique role. A prerequisite for a free society is that there are centres where knowledge is produced that are independent of the central direction of the government. This is also an important motive behind the foundation of Ratio.

What does Ratio want to achieve in the long term?
Ratio's goal is to contribute in the long term to the improvment in the knowledge about the conditions of enterprise in Sweden - in terms of laws, rules and values.

How is Ratio financed?
Ratio is financed through financial support, through membership fees and through book sales. The Swedish Free Enterprise Foundation finances Ratio's infrastructure. Research projects have been or are financed by the NÖDFOR Foundation, the Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Memorial Fund Foundation, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and the Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Foundations. Other financers of conferences and graduate students have included and inclued Liberty Fund, Inc. and the Earhart Foundation.

What is Ratio's relationship to the Swedish Free Enterprise Foundation?
Ratio receives financial support from the Swedish Free Enterprise Foundation for its infrastructure, but also has a number of other financers. The Swedish Enterprise Foundation was founded in 2003 by the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. Ratio is a totally separate organisation with its own board, employees, etc.

What is Ratio's work method?
We conduct our own research and run the Ratio publishing house. Important activities include seminars, lectures and conferences. Ratio works with networks: it has a small core of employees and works together with Swedish and international researchers in different projects. An important feature is to offer young, talented researchers an environment where they come into contact with important questions and perspectives. Our research results are published as articles in scientific journals, as working papers, books and as articles in the media.

How is quality and relevance secured?
Ratio's activities are carried out in accordance with unequivocal scientific standards. The quality of the research is guaranteed through critical scrutiny by other researchers, both internal and external, where the external scientific scrutiny at seminars and conferences and by scientific journals with peer review are fundamental methods. Ratio's scientific advisory board is the guarantor of quality.

Relevance is secured through Ratio's profile, which focuses on the conditions of enterprise in Sweden. It also builds on extensive contacts with leaders in business and politics, not least Ratio's own members. Ratio's board is the guarantor of relevance.

What does it cost to become a member?
You can become a member both as an individual and as an organisation or a company. The annual membership fee for 2005 is as follows:

- individuals SEK 1,000
- companies with less than 20 employees SEK 1,000
- companies with 20-100 employees SEK 2,500
- companies with 101-200 employees SEK 10,000
- companies with more than 200 employees SEK 20,000
- membership organisations in the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise SEK 10,000
- other organisations individually negotiated fees

As a member of Ratio you support research of great importance for the development of Sweden. In addition you get personal benefits. Go to Membership.