Policy & the Economy
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.”
Lauren Rivera
May 22, 2023
What’s at Stake in the Debt-Ceiling Standoff?
Defaulting would be an unmitigated disaster, quickly felt by ordinary Americans.
David A. Besanko
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.
Sunil Chopra, Jacopo Ponticelli, Anna Tuchman, Erika Deserranno and Jörg L. Spenkuch
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.
Nancy Qian
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.
Scott R. Baker, Efraim Benmelech, Paola Sapienza, Angela Y. Lee, Benjamin F. Jones, Ryan Hill, Dashun Wang and and coauthors
December 22, 2022
In a World of Widespread Video Sharing, What’s Real and What’s Not?
A discussion with a video-authentication expert on what it takes to unearth “deepfakes.”
Nicola Persico and Bertram Lyons
November 28, 2022
Post-War Reconstruction Is a Good Investment
Ukraine’s European neighbors will need to make a major financial commitment to help rebuild its economy after the war. Fortunately, as the legacy of the post–World War II Marshall Plan shows, investing in Ukraine’s future will also serve Europe’s own long-term interests.
Nancy Qian
October 13, 2022
What the New Climate Bill Means for the U.S.—and the World
The Inflation Reduction Act won’t reverse inflation or halt climate change, but it’s still a big deal.
David A. Besanko
October 1, 2022
Why Did So Many Ukrainians Die in the Soviet Great Famine?
They perished at a much higher rate than ethnic Russians during what’s known as Holodomor. A new study suggests this was a deliberate policy decision.
Andrei Markevich, Natalya Naumenko and Nancy Qian
October 1, 2022
Who Should Win the Tug-of-War over User Data?
It’s not always clear whether businesses or consumers should have more control. Research offers a new way of thinking through the problem.
Sarit Markovich and Taron Yehezkel
September 6, 2022
The Thorny Challenge of Measuring Success in “Systems-of-Care” Networks
These networks, which help direct people to the medical and social services they need, must tread carefully in choosing which metrics to use in decision-making.
Karen Smilowitz, Michelle Shumate and and coauthors
August 1, 2022
How Former Enemies Can Develop Trust
A simple intervention can help diffuse animosity toward onetime armed foes, a study shows.
Emile Bruneau, Andres Casas, Boaz Hameiri and Nour Kteily
July 5, 2022
Where Does Capitalism Go Next?
A conversation on “creative destruction,” growth, and designing a more equitable capitalist future.
Benjamin F. Jones and Philippe Aghion
June 8, 2022
Take 5: Democracies and How They Thrive
A look at this form of government at a time when democracy is under stress around the world.
Georgy Egorov, Ameet Morjaria, Sandeep Baliga, Nancy Qian and and coauthors
June 1, 2022
How One Tax Reform Led to More Women in the Workforce Decades Later
A study of a major fiscal change in Italy shows how much individual lives are affected when governments get more efficient.
Nicola Bianchi, Michela Giorcelli and Enrica Maria Martino
May 3, 2022
Larry Summers on Inflation and the Fed’s Attempts to Cool the Economy
In a recent Q&A with Kellogg’s Jan Eberly, Summers is skeptical that the economy can achieve a “soft landing.”
Larry Summers and Janice C. Eberly
May 1, 2022
Tackling Global Poverty Takes More Than Cash
New research points to the power of including psychosocial interventions—such as group problem-solving—alongside economic ones.
Dean Karlan, Christopher Udry and and coauthors
April 29, 2022
Why Are U.S. Companies Hoarding So Much Cash?
More than anything else, it comes down to taxes.
Michael Faulkender, Kristine W. Hankins and Mitchell A. Petersen
April 29, 2022
Why Sanctions Against Russia Are Falling Short
Game theory offers an explanation.
Sandeep Baliga
April 26, 2022
China Is Caught in a COVID-19 Trap of Its Own Making
Why moderating its “zero-COVID” strategy is proving difficult.
Nancy Qian
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