Behavioral Economics

January 13, 2019

How an Art Heist Is like the Government Shutdown

Whether looking at an art heist, government shutdown negotiations or a soccer shootout, game theory can explain people's behavior.

December 28, 2018

How to Measure the Size of Our Cultural Divide

We can judge the size of our cultural divide by identifying the TV shows we watch, the magazines we read, and the movies we see.

December 27, 2018

The Gift You Didn’t Want

Although you'll see that the Amazon reviews for How to Avoid Huge Ships are hilarious, it's still one of those unwanted gifts that creates deadweight loss.

December 26, 2018

The (Hidden) Paternity Leave Problem

A nation's generous paternity leave policy does not necessarily diminish the size of the gender pay gap or job discrimination against women.

December 19, 2018

Why We Should Care About the Night Time Economy

Inadequately supported, the food, drink, and entertainment businesses in a city's night time economy can be a valuable source of economic growth.

December 17, 2018

Almost Everything We Need To Know About Gift Giving

Looking at what we buy and what we return, we can ask an economist and a psychologist for some gift-giving advice about our holiday spending.

December 16, 2018

Why Superstars Dominate the Billboard Hot 100 Chart

For 60 years, Billboard, every week, has ranked the best music. Using sales, radio play, and now streaming, they tell us what we like the most. […]

December 6, 2018

The Economics of Skiing Across Antarctica

Across a 921-mile stretch of Antarctica, two men are racing. Unassisted, each is alone. Unsupported, they are not allowed to receive a food or fuel drop […]

December 2, 2018

Six Facts About How Supermarkets Influence What We Buy

These six facts tell us how our supermarket shopping can be influenced by much more than the shopping list we bring with us.