Elaine Schwartz
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Elaine Schwartz has spent her career sharing the interesting side of economics. At the Kent Place School in Summit New Jersey, she was honored with an Endowed Chair in Economics. Just published, her newest book, Degree in a Book: Economics (Arcturus 2023), gives readers a lighthearted look at what definitely is not “the dismal science.” She has also written and updated Econ 101 ½ (Avon Books/Harper Collins 1995) and Economics: Our American Economy (Addison Wesley 1994). In addition, Elaine has articles in the Encyclopedia of New Jersey (Rutgers University Press) and was a featured teacher in the Annenberg/CPB video project “The Economics Classroom.” Beyond the classroom, she has presented Econ 101 ½ talks and led workshops for the Foundation for Teaching Economics, the National Council on Economic Education and for the Concord Coalition. Online for more than a decade. econlife has had one million+ visits.

Bedtime Stories… About the Economy.

From statistics and a satellite image of the world at night, we can see that developing countries lack the electrification they need for economic growth.

Weekly Roundup: From Airline Seats to Earthquakes

Our weekly roundup includes everyday economics that relate to opportunity cost, corporate taxation, GDP, monopolistic competition & negative externalities.

Solving the Airplane Seat Problem

According to Ronald Coase, if reclining in an airline seat creates a negative externality, both parties can negotiate because the transaction costs are low.

The Path of the Shifting Center of Global Economic Power

Led by Chinese economic growth and other emerging markets, the center of economic gravity is moving eastward from the developed world to Asia.

The Costs of Being Prepared for a Natural Disaster

Whereas natural disaster preparation can save lives, it might have too high an opportunity cost to make sense or be a ShakeAlert that has been proven.

Can an Earthquake Be Good for the Economy?

19th century economic writer Frederic Bastiat warned that a disaster spending GDP boost is misleading because of unseen sacrificed economic activity.

Corporate Tax Dilemmas

When firms diminish their corporate tax rate legally with a corporate inversion, the debate should be about overly complex corporate tax laws.

Do You Prefer McDonald's or Starbucks?

Shaped by monopolistic competition, the behavior of McDonald’s and Starbucks attracts different groups of consumers.

Weekly Roundup: From Waist Size Checks to the Russian Embargo

Our weekly roundup includes everyday economics that relate to entitlements, tax credits, supply and demand, consumer spending on children and the eurozone.

Impact of the Russian Trade Embargo on Ikea's Swedish Meatballs

Supply and demand explain the impact of the Russian embargo on goods in Russia and on the countries that export items to them like poultry and fish.