Policy & the Economy
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two political candidates back to back at podiums. one saying Justice the other saying honor.
September 28, 2023

It’s Election Season. Here Comes the Morally Charged Language.

In the U.S., presidential candidates across the political spectrum lean on value-laden rhetoric—but emphasize different values.

long line of soldiers marching single file through a field
September 1, 2023

Why Do Long Wars Happen?

War is a highly inefficient way of dividing contested resources—yet conflicts endure when there are powerful incentives to feign strength.

group of young people in a cafeteria, with two of the people as TikTok screens.
August 16, 2023

Social-Media Algorithms Have Hijacked “Social Learning”

We make sense of the world by observing and mimicking others, but digital platforms throw that process into turmoil. Can anything be done?

autocrat leaning over battle map surrounded by yes-men.
August 10, 2023

How Autocracies Unravel

Over time, leaders grow more repressive and cling to yes-men—a cycle that’s playing out today in Putin’s Russia.

person in chair reading electronic tablet while octopus tentacles reach out
August 1, 2023

How Data Tracking Is Changing—and What That Means for You

Tech companies are phasing out cookies. Will consumers finally see meaningful privacy protections?

A graduate leaving university with a STEM degree.
July 27, 2023

Youth Unemployment and China’s Economic Future

For decades, China’s growth has followed the pattern of advanced economies, with rising incomes and educational attainment, shrinking family size, and growing female labor-force participation. But across these and other dimensions, the economy now appears to be going backward.

golfer waits while official sews banners for PGA and LIV Golf together
July 1, 2023

Will the PGA–LIV Golf Merger Pass the Antitrust Test?

“Statements that LIV has made about breaking up the monopoly of the PGA may come back to haunt them.”

woman holding globe and flat earth
July 1, 2023

How to Prepare for AI-Generated Misinformation

“We have to be careful not to get distracted by sci-fi issues and focus on concrete risks that are the most pressing.”

illustration of the exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court building.
June 30, 2023

The Supreme Court Ended Race-Conscious Admissions. A Sociologist Who Studies Bias in Elite Spaces Is Worried about the Ramifications.

“The decision represents a fundamental misunderstanding or misrecognition of what we know from science about how discrimination works.”

college graduate standing before Chinese flag
June 2, 2023

China’s Youth Unemployment Problem

If the record-breaking joblessness persists, as seems likely, China will have an even harder time supporting its rapidly aging population.

two groups of politicians negotiate while dangling upside down from the ceiling of a room
May 22, 2023

What’s at Stake in the Debt-Ceiling Standoff?

Defaulting would be an unmitigated disaster, quickly felt by ordinary Americans.

People pass an e-cigarette billboard
May 16, 2023

Take 5: Yikes! When Unintended Consequences Strike

Good intentions don’t always mean good results. Here’s why humility, and a lot of monitoring, are so important when making big changes.

robot waiter serves couple in restaurant
May 1, 2023

2 Factors Will Determine How Much AI Transforms Our Economy

They’ll also dictate how workers stand to fare.

A soybean seed led Brazilian farm workers to industrialized jobs.
April 21, 2023

Banning China from Owning U.S. Farmland Will Achieve Nothing

A new bipartisan bill would prohibit anyone associated with “foreign adversaries” like China from purchasing U.S. farmland. While protecting the U.S. food system and making farmland more affordable to domestic producers by limiting foreign ownership may seem plausible on paper, the reality is more complicated.

an older woman tweets and a flock of birds flies from her phone toward a person reading the tweet
April 10, 2023

Are People on Social Media Actually That Outraged?

One reason we think Twitter is such a polarized place: we’re bad at inferring how angry people are from their posts.

business power couple atop wedding cake
April 1, 2023

How Marriages Are Exacerbating Income Inequality

Marriage patterns can account for 40 percent of rising inequality, according to a new study.

Person reading giant book titled "Open Enrollment Choices"
February 2, 2023

Consumers Lose Out When Health Insurers Offer Lots of Plans

While extra choices are usually considered a good thing, insurers are able to use them strategically to maximize profits.

doctors offices in small nodules
February 1, 2023

Will AI Eventually Replace Doctors?

Maybe not entirely. But the doctor–patient relationship is likely to change dramatically.

inflatable dollar sign tied down with mountains in background
January 25, 2023

6 Takeaways on Inflation and the Economy Right Now

Are we headed into a recession? Kellogg’s Sergio Rebelo breaks down the latest trends.

a doctor speaks with a political reporter
January 21, 2023

Take 5: What We’ve Learned about Tackling Public-Health Crises

Covid-era research sheds light on how policymakers can guide the economy and the public through future emergencies.

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December 12, 2024  ·  11:15 minutes
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