Economic Ideas

November 2, 2011

Default Deja Vu

Between its independence in 1829 and 2006, Greece has had 5 defaults or debt reschedulings that occupied a total of 50.6 years.  Described by Rogoff and […]

October 29, 2011

The Seven Billionth Baby

On October 12, 1999, according to the United Nations, the 6 billionth person (approximately) in the world was born. At the time, the UN projected the […]

October 28, 2011

Euro Deal Primer

To understand euro zone bailout plans, just think BBB. Bonds, Banks, Bailout The Bonds: If you own Greek debt, then you would be asked to accept […]

October 27, 2011

Innovation and (Steve) Jobs

From the iPhone and iPod to a…thermostat? At a Silicone Valley start-up, a former Apple design leader has switched his focus to diminishing carbon emissions, decreasing […]

October 26, 2011

Innovation and Jobs

Just say, “More productivity, R & D and economies of scale,” and you are talking about large firms. New Yorker financial columnist James Surowiecki reminds us […]

October 25, 2011

Greece and Argentina

Nobody wants Greece to become Argentina. It all began with what scholars Rogoff and Reinhart called the lending boom of the 1990s. Enjoying the influx of […]

October 24, 2011

Babies and the Elderly

The beginning of life and the end of life are becoming more expensive. The number of premature babies in the U.S. has soared by 36% during […]

October 23, 2011

Chinese Imports

Are you paying more for your clothing? According to NY Times financial journalist Floyd Norris, women’s shirt prices, dresses, sweaters, all that government statisticians consider female […]