I think the joke goes something like “If you laid all the economists in the world end to end, they still wouldn’t reach a conclusion.” This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but on a lot of issues it’s almost certainly true. At least now we can observe what happens when all [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Policy'
Apparently This Is What Happens When You Lay Economists End To End…
February 2nd, 2012 · 4 Comments
Fun With Data · Policy · Random Links
Tags: Fun With Data · Policy · Random Links
Grading The State Of The Union Address, Economist Style…
January 26th, 2012 · 12 Comments
Policy · Uncategorizable
First off, I think it’s fantastic that the State of the Union address is available online, even with an enhanced version that includes charts and graphs(!) and makes it totally worth it to watch again. In case you missed it:
I’m actually watching the speech again for the charts and graphs, and also because I [...]
Tags: Policy · Uncategorizable
Public Versus Private Is Not The Same As Smart Versus Stupid…
December 8th, 2011 · 20 Comments
Buyer Beware · Markets · Policy
Another day, another case of firefighters letting a house burn because the owner didn’t subscribe to fire service. I wrote about this before in the context of pay-for-service ambulances, and what I’m beginning to realize is that, well, everyone is wrong. Here’s a summary of what I’ve been hearing on the fire department [...]
Tags: Buyer Beware · Markets · Policy
Good News For Economists And Libertarians, Bad News For Mr. Ed…
December 1st, 2011 · 14 Comments
Markets · Policy
Q: What do selling kidneys, tossing dwarfs, and eating horses have in common?
A: I don’t know- let’s ask Professor Al Roth.
Unfair. Undignified. Inappropriate, unprofessional, distasteful—and most of all, repugnant.
To the wonder and surprise of Alvin E. Roth, a Harvard economist, these harsh words are often hoisted to describe an important task of his: [...]
The Latest From The “Life Isn’t Fair” Department, Beauty Pays Edition…
November 27th, 2011 · 1 Comment
Books · Discrimination · Policy
This was the conversation in my household the other day while watching The Daily Show:
Jason Jones, on TV: We’ve made great strides in eradicating prejudice in this country…but, according to University of Texas economist Daniel Hamermesh, one part of society is still suffering in ways we never imagined…
Me: Ugly people.
Daniel Hamermesh, on TV: Ugly [...]
Tags: Books · Discrimination · Policy