Policy & the Economy

May 17, 2024
Could This Be the End of Noncompetes?
The FTC’s proposed rule is hardly a done deal—but here’s what it could mean for companies and workers.
Thomas N. Hubbard and Mark McCareins

April 19, 2024
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Is Going Mainstream. How Will the Industry Grow Around It?
While significant barriers remain—including regulatory uncertainty and the difficulty of scaling a labor-intensive treatment method—industry leaders see a path forward.
David Schonthal, Michael Cotton, David Esselman and Ryan Reid

April 12, 2024
Humanizing the U.S.–China Relationship
Escalating tensions between U.S. and Chinese governments make preserving in-person interactions between ordinary Chinese and Americans even more important.
Nancy Qian

April 1, 2024
AI Has Entered the Court. Is This Changing Umpires’ Calls?
The Hawk-Eye review system in professional tennis has made umpires more accurate in many cases—but not all.
David Almog, Romain Gauriot, Lionel Page and Daniel Martin

March 26, 2024
The Truth about U.S. Immigration
It is possible both to maximize the benefits of immigration and still maintain border security and support workers in sectors that immigrants may enter.
Nancy Qian

March 5, 2024
When New Technology Arrives, Who Wins and Who Loses?
For tools that assist but don’t replace workers, novices benefit, while experienced employees take a hit.
Leonid Kogan, Dimitris Papanikolaou, Lawrence Schmidt and Bryan Seegmiller

March 1, 2024
How Trolls Poison Political Discussions for Everyone Else
Online political debate isn’t inherently toxic, a new study of Reddit commenters finds. Instead, it becomes toxic because of the kind of commenters who opt in.
Michalis Mamakos and Eli J. Finkel

March 1, 2024
How to Award Contracts When You’re Concerned about Quality
You want a good price, but you don’t want lousy workmanship. What’s a buyer to do?
Giuseppe Lopomo, Nicola Persico and Alessandro T. Villa

February 23, 2024
The Dos and Don’ts of Regulating AI
How can governments capitalize on AI’s benefits while minimizing its dangers? New research examines several policies—and identifies a promising approach.
João Guerreiro, Sergio Rebelo and Pedro Teles

February 23, 2024
What’s at Stake in the UFC Antitrust Case?
The outcome of the mixed-martial-arts saga could have wide-ranging implications for the future of global sports entertainment.
Mark McCareins

February 5, 2024
What Happens When We Give Doctors an AI Assistant?
Machine-learning systems can improve physicians’ accuracy at diagnosing dermatological diseases. But even with AI assistance, physicians struggle to close the accuracy gap between light- and dark-skinned patients.
Matthew Groh, Omar Badri, Roxana Daneshjou, Arash Koochek, Caleb Harris, Luis R. Soenksen and Rosalind Picard

February 1, 2024
How the Railroad Laid the Tracks for Modern Government
Technologies that allowed federal officials to monitor workers from afar played a key role in the emergence of the bureaucratic state.
Nicola Mastrorocco and Edoardo Teso

January 4, 2024
Why Are So Many Young Chinese Depressed?
It’s not just the economic slowdown. The country’s education system and social policies have created a disillusioned generation.
Nancy Qian

January 2, 2024
Community Revitalization Is Hard to Get Right. Here’s How It Can Succeed.
“The basic amenities people want are pretty universal, but every community has its own priorities and ideals.”
William Towns

January 1, 2024
How Should Global Cities Manage an Influx of Wealthy Foreign Residents?
In an age of remote work, the trend will only continue. So how can governments take advantage of the benefits while mitigating the harms?
João Guerreiro, Sergio Rebelo and Pedro Teles

December 11, 2023
Investing Over-the-Counter—and Under the Radar
In most markets, buyers and sellers benefit from soliciting many offers. New research shows why the opposite is true for OTC traders.
Markus Baldauf and Joshua Mollner

November 28, 2023
The Long Tail of China’s Zero-Covid Policy
As the costs of China’s pandemic experience are tallied, younger generations are confronting a disconcerting new reality.
Nancy Qian

November 1, 2023
In a Warming U.S., Smaller Manufacturers Are Feeling the Heat
Smaller firms struggle in the face of temperature shocks, while larger ones are less affected—a trend that is driving industry consolidation.
Jacopo Ponticelli, Qiping Xu and Stefan Zeume

November 1, 2023
When Your Savings Account Is Also a Lottery Ticket
Prize-linked savings accounts can be more enticing to customers than interest rates—and banks like them, too.
Paul Gertler, Sean Higgins, Aisling Scott and Enrique Seira

October 18, 2023
Why Younger Workers Just Can’t Get Ahead
In wealthy countries, the wage gap between older and younger workers is growing. A crowded promotion pathway could be to blame.
Nicola Bianchi and Matteo Paradisi
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