Policy & the Economy

March 2, 2018
Privatizing Medicaid Drug Benefits Reduces Spending
The savings come without any decrease in quality of care, new research shows.
David Dranove, Christopher Ody and Amanda Starc

March 1, 2018
When Do People Label Attackers as Terrorists versus Mentally Ill?
New research shows that people’s assumptions go beyond stereotypes.
Masi Noor, Nour Kteily, Birte Siem and Agostino Mazziotta

February 5, 2018
Take 5: How Do Households Manage Fluctuating Finances?
Plus, how policymakers can help them manage better.
Janice C. Eberly, Lorenz Kueng, Scott R. Baker, Anthony DeFusco and John Mondragon

February 1, 2018
When Healthcare Providers Consolidate, Medical Bills Rise
Can anything be done to rein in this expensive trend?
Cory Capps, David Dranove and Christopher Ody

February 1, 2018
Audit Regulations Meant to Curb Accounting Scandals Are Working, Mostly
A post-Enron oversight board is a useful example for the regulation of other industries.
Daniel Aobdia

January 3, 2018
The Complicated Logic Behind Donating to a Food Pantry Rather than Giving a Hungry Person Cash
If we were in need, we’d likely want money. So what accounts for that difference?
Juliana Schroeder, Adam Waytz and Nicholas Epley

December 6, 2017
How Are Black–White Biracial People Perceived in Terms of Race?
Understanding the answer—and why black and white Americans may percieve biracial people differently—is increasingly important in a multiracial society.
Arnold K. Ho, Nour Kteily and J. M. Chen

December 4, 2017
Why Banning E-cigarette Ads on TV Could Backfire
A new study finds that an increase in e-cigarette ads leads to a decrease in traditional cigarette sales.
Anna Tuchman

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

December 1, 2017
Four Ways to Improve the Efficiency of U.S. Healthcare Markets
An economist discusses how to ensure the right mix of access, affordability, and quality.
Amanda Starc

December 1, 2017
Measuring the Impact of Dodd–Frank on Household Leverage
The regulation’s attempt to prevent people from taking on mortgages they can’t repay may not work as intended.
Anthony DeFusco, Stephanie Johnson and John Mondragon

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

October 11, 2017
Analyzing the Trump Tax Plan
A former acting director of the Congressional Budget Office explains the impact on the deficit, corporate taxes, and pass-through income.
Janice C. Eberly and Donald Marron

October 2, 2017
Robots Are Taking Americans’ Jobs. What Can Be Done?
Four concrete policy proposals to get people back to work.
David A. Besanko

September 5, 2017
Are You Offering Your Children Too Many Choices?
Deciding between an abundance of options leads to less engagement with the final choice.
Michal Maimaran

September 1, 2017
Investors Prefer It When Corporations Are Specific about the Risk They Face
The market values detailed risk disclosures. But executives should be cautious about oversharing.
Ole-Kristian Hope, Danqi Hu and Hai Lu

August 2, 2017
What Happens to Quality When One Company Builds the Tracks and Another Runs the Trains?
Governments looking to improve their infrastructure will want to know the answer.
David A. Besanko and Shana Cui

June 19, 2017
Is an Unpredictable Leader Good for National Security?
Think the goal is to keep your enemies guessing? Game theory suggests otherwise.
Sandeep Baliga

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

April 10, 2017
We Are Influenced by Racial Information Even When We Are Not Aware of Its Presence
Many of us acknowledge that implicit racial bias exists, but the problem goes deeper than we think.
Jie Yuan, Xiaoqing Hu, Yuhao Lu, Galen Bodenhausen and Shimin Fu
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