More than we realize, our economic behavior in a city is shaped by the urban planning that created the shape, the length and the width of the streets.
The Accuracy of the Mashed Potato Index
Mashed Potatoes could be a good way to decide the direction of consumer spending. Where are we going? To consumer spending indices. The Mashed Potato Index (MPI) A pound container of mashed potatoes will cost you $4 at Stew Leonard’s, a NY…
How to Sound Like an Economist
If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to sound like an economist, please remember the following…and do send in your own suggestions. New Additions: Anytime your community refrigerator gets too messy, just say it’s the tragedy of the commons. Finding…
Incentives That Have Unexpected Results
From the Wells Fargo scandal to the British National Health Service and Chilean bus drivers, sometimes incentives can have unintended consequences.
Why It’s Tough to Demonetize Cash
A surprise announcement on 11/8/16, demonetizing India’s 500- and 1000-rupee notes meant most of the money in the country had to be swapped for new notes.
Why We Can Stop Worrying About Helium
The recent discovery of helium in Tanzania could be just in time to prevent a helium shortage that the U.S. government helped to create.
When Not to Build a Super Tall Skyscraper
From the Chrysler Building in NYC to Taipei 101 in Taiwan, the timing of super tall skyscraper construction provides clues about business cycles.
What Happens When You Pay What You Want?
Affecting a firm’s revenue, when consumers can determine price through pay-what-you-want, the amount they select depends on their unselfish self-signaling.
How a Soap Opera Affected Brazil’s Fertility Rate
During the past 40 years, Brazil’s fertility rates declined. One cause was the new values that soap operas conveyed to an uneducated rural population.
