Behavioral Economics

December 21, 2017

Why We Give The Wrong Gifts

When we receive presents that disappoint us, gift giving creates deadweight loss that diminishes the economic boost from holiday spending.

December 20, 2017

How to Make Kids Smarter (And Also Help the GDP)

While superstition tells us that babies born during the Year of the Dragon will have more success and power, economists look at human capital investment.

October 18, 2017

The iPod, Starbucks, and Richard Thaler’s Behavioral Economics

Discussing the iPod he designed, Tony Fadell expressed his frustration with products that said “charge before use.” He remembered arriving home excited about a newly purchased […]

October 10, 2017

The Story of a Nudge and the Nobel Economics Prize

For his public policy nudges and his contributions to behavioral economics, Richard Thaler will get the 2017 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.