Economics

These posts cover financial and economic topics, including taxes, financing, macro- and micro-economics
Feb
03
Mural of pear and apple wearing sunglasses above grafitti

Would You Consider Becoming a Criminal?

Fraud is one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy. How many fraudsters are out there?
5 min read
Jan
27
Crowd of people on a city street

The West Owes this Couple a Huge Thank You

The Population Bomb was entirely wrong, but it helped persuade our greatest competitor to curb their growth
4 min read
Jan
13
Top-down view of the globe with swirling blue-green colors indicating ozone concentrations

The Healing Ozone Layer is a Warning, Not a Blessing

The good news is also a warning because it reminds us how incentives drive behavior
3 min read
Dec
23
Book cover excerpt showing a small globe and the words "A global economy that works for progress, people and planet"

Stakeholder Capitalism: the Myth, the Misunderstanding, and a Lie

Delivering shareholder value is entirely consistent with taking a long-term view. And short-term profits have nothing to do with it.
7 min read
Dec
02
Screenshot of the top of the US Taxpayer Bill of Rights, also referred to as IRS Publication 1.

Do We Have Any Rights as Taxpayers? (Newsletter 075)

Only one in ten Americans trust themselves to file their tax return without outside help.
6 min read
Nov
25
Brick wall painted black on top of 45-degree diagonal and yellow on bottom. Painted words "shop lokal or else"

I've Got a Tip for You (Newsletter 074)

Tipping in America requires just a few ingredients: a transaction involving at least two individuals and money changing hands, including electronically.
6 min read
Oct
14
How Valuable is Consistency? (Newsletter 068)

How Valuable is Consistency? (Newsletter 068)

It takes discipline and conviction to stay true to a slow but steady course. Particularly when you're regularly confronted with examples of instant success.
6 min read
Sep
13
Nothing Bad that Happens is your Fault

Nothing Bad that Happens is your Fault

What are you supposed to do? Not go out to eat? Not take your vacations? Not relieve your stress by on-line shopping? I think not. To do otherwise is to deny your very worth as a person.
4 min read
Aug
05
Try Using Economics To Steer Your Life (Newsletter 058)

Try Using Economics To Steer Your Life (Newsletter 058)

The basic rules of competition apply in many areas of life beyond buying goods and services.
5 min read
Jul
15
Can Big Government Spending Make Anything Better?(Newsletter 055)

Can Big Government Spending Make Anything Better?(Newsletter 055)

I'd argue that the single greatest problem in government is lack of accountability: we look only to the desirability of the policy objective and not to how well our policies achieve the intended result.
7 min read