Policy & the Economy
December 1, 2017
How a “Robot Tax” Could Reduce Income Inequality
This tax can also be part of a plan to improve the economy as a whole.
João Guerreiro, Sergio Rebelo and Pedro Teles
November 2, 2017
How Do People Respond to Sales Tax Increases?
New research shows we aren’t as blasé as economists thought.
Scott R. Baker, Stephanie Johnson and Lorenz Kueng
July 7, 2017
What Makes Oil Prices So Volatile?
There’s more to the story than OPEC. Plus, how fracking stands to change the market.
Gideon Bornstein, Per Krusell and Sergio Rebelo
July 6, 2017
STEM Degrees Are Good for Careers. But Do They Lead to More Innovation?
Science, technology, engineering, and math education helps job prospects, but hurts the likelihood of becoming an inventor.
Nicola Bianchi and Michela Giorcelli
June 6, 2017
Does Immigration Help or Hurt Local Economies?
Historically, where immigrants cluster in the U.S., prosperity follows.
Nathan Nunn, Nancy Qian and Sandra Sequeira
May 4, 2017
Alaskans Get an Annual Check from the State. How Do They Spend It?
The answer depends on a family’s income, but not in the way many economists expected.
Lorenz Kueng
March 6, 2017
School Shootings Rise and Fall with the Unemployment Rate
Researchers set out to quantify gun violence at U.S. schools and made a surprising discovery.
Adam Pah, John Hagan, Andrew L. Jennings, Aditya Jain, Kat Albrecht, Adam J. Hockenberry and Luis A. Nunes Amaral
February 3, 2017
Why Are We So Quick to Borrow When the Value of Our Home Rises?
The reason isn’t as simple as just feeling wealthier.
Anthony DeFusco
January 5, 2017
Businesses Born in a Recession Tend to Start Smaller and Stay Smaller
Yet there are ways business owners can counter these long-term effects.
Sara Moreira
December 1, 2016
Video: How to Establish Trust in Financial Transactions
Hard statistics and an understanding of culture keep the money flowing between lenders and borrowers.
Bruce Carruthers and Paola Sapienza
November 2, 2016
What Good Is a Financial Advisor?
They may have your best interests in mind, but that doesn’t mean their advice is sound.
Stephen Foerster, Juhani T. Linnainmaa, Brian Melzer and Alessandro Previtero
November 2, 2016
Higher Taxes Can Make Altruistic Jobs More Attractive
But subsidizing these careers may ultimately do more good.
Benjamin B. Lockwood, Charles Nathanson and E. Glen Weyl
October 10, 2016
Finding the Right Performance Incentives to Motivate Employees
Some incentive schemes encourage hard work—others reward those who game the system.
Daniel Barron, George Georgiadis and Jeroen Swinkels
August 9, 2016
Disposable Income Is Rising in Africa. What Happens Next?
A Q&A about growth trends in African markets.
Ameet Morjaria and Aubrey Hruby
August 1, 2016
A Clever Strategy to Combat Free Riding
In any collaboration, the temptation to slack off is strong.
Jakša Cvitanić and George Georgiadis
July 5, 2016
Why Income Inequality among White Collar Workers Is Growing
Top earners benefit most from “knowledge hierarchies” in organizations.
Luis Garicano and Thomas N. Hubbard
July 5, 2016
Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 11: Which Bankruptcy System Is Better?
In certain markets, forcing companies to liquidate could cause offices and factories to sit empty.
Shai Bernstein, Emanuele Colonnelli and Benjamin Iverson
April 7, 2016
How the Wormhole Decade (2000–2010) Changed the World
Five implications no one can afford to ignore.
Sally Blount
February 1, 2016
Why Healthcare Spending Has Slowed
Is the Affordable Care Act getting too much credit?
David Dranove, Craig Garthwaite and Christopher Ody
February 1, 2016
Does Democracy Curb Corruption?
A clever study investigates the link between where roads are built and who is in power.
Robin Burgess, Remi Jedwab, Edward Miguel, Ameet Morjaria and Gerard Padró i Miquel
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