Behavioral Economics

November 13, 2015

The Problem With Bovine Burps

Reducing environmental externalities from greenhouse gas emissions involves the methane that cows and other ruminants burp.

November 5, 2015

Why It’s Tough to Place the Poverty Line

Whether calculating the poverty rate in Rwanda or in the U.S., the income and/or consumption variables you select determine your results.

November 2, 2015

Why China’s Two-Child Policy Might Not Work

Although China has said it will replace its one-child policy with a two child limit, small families remain a social norm that will be tough to change.

October 27, 2015

Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Workers

One reason we have a labor force participation rate of 62.4 percent is because retirees, students, the disabled and people who care for family do not work.

October 25, 2015

The Diner’s Dilemma: Should You Divide the Check Equally With Friends?

Like the tragedy of the commons, splitting a bill among friends at a restaurant involves an individual's marginal benefit and the group's marginal cost.

October 18, 2015

Deciding If We Should Be More Like Denmark

While Denmark has universal healthcare, family benefits and pays for college, its social welfare system requires high taxes and other sacrifices.

October 14, 2015

A Nobel Message on Health and Wealth

The 2015 winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, Angus Deaton studied inequality through health and wealth and micro and macroeconomics.

October 5, 2015

The Connection Between Your Credit Score and Your Love Life

Because credit card scores predict trustworthiness and financial distress, they indicate whether a co-habitation relationship will be long lasting.

October 2, 2015

The Importance of Accurately Estimating When We Will Die

Retirement savings and income depend on the person's prior income, longevity, the macroeconomic environment, Social Security and other entitlement programs.

September 30, 2015

Part 1: Understanding the Student Loan Crisis

The characteristics of the student loan crisis include a high default and delinquency rate, huge amounts of money and a personal and macroeconomic impact.

September 16, 2015

Bringing The Martian Down to Earth

For pure enjoyment The Martian is a good read but also it helps us recognize how travel to Mars has and will have positive externalities on earth.

September 15, 2015

Why Doing Good is Not Always Easy

By recognizing the tradeoffs of recycling, preserving endangered species and improving world health, doing good could become more productive.