Economic Ideas

November 18, 2018

What an Air Quality Index Really Measures

While the Air Quality Index (AQI) is a pollution yardstick, it also can signal if we are controlling the tragedy of the commons.

November 14, 2018

Six Facts: What We Need To Know About World Debt

The six facts that summarize world debt identify the big borrowers, the risky borrowers, and the criteria for deciding how much to worry.

November 12, 2018

Why the Republicans and Democrats Are Like Coke and Pepsi

The Democrats and Republicans have political power for the same kinds of reasons that Coke and Pepsi or Boeing and Airbus dominate their markets.

November 7, 2018

Six Facts That We Need to Know About Globalization

Globalization is a gargantuan topic. Reflecting the world’s economic interdependence, it is about goods, services, and supply chains. It takes us to multinational corporations, to trade […]

November 6, 2018

An Amazon Market in South America

Everywhere we read about Amazon markets. But today, it’s the real thing. Where are we going? To what you can buy in the Amazon Basin. From […]

November 5, 2018

Why It’s Tough to Give (Campaign Finance) Money Away

When Seattle tried using Democracy Vouchers to support campaign finance, the results were not entirely what they had expected.