Economic Thinkers

April 9, 2014
Salamander ant prey
Published by Elaine Schwartz at April 9, 2014
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The Big Impact of a Little Salamander

The woodland salamander made me think of Adam Smith. In North American forests, wherever it is dark and damp, under a rock or a log, a […]

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April 8, 2014
everyday economics and tax impact
Published by Elaine Schwartz at April 8, 2014
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Unusual Ways to Achieve Deficit Reduction

Hoping to diminish their country’s deficit, last year, Malta’s President and Parliament decided to sell citizenship. The price tag is $891,000 and the perk is that […]

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April 1, 2014
Grade Incentives
Published by Elaine Schwartz at April 1, 2014
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Should Kids Get Paid for Grades?

What happens when you combine a $100 student payment with a teacher bonus for high A.P. grades, better lab equipment, free tutoring, Saturday classes and extra […]

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March 10, 2014
gender pay gap
Published by econguest at March 10, 2014
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One Reason That We Need Gender Equity in TV and Film

Our Monday Gender Issue: Citing “gender inertia,” San Diego University professor Martha Lauzen said that: “If you have all white males working behind the scenes in […]

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February 27, 2014
Weekly Economic News Roundup and tariff impact
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 27, 2014
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B(T)FF… Best Trading Friends Forever

We can say that Mexico believes her top trading partner is the United States because the value of her exports to the US (2013: $370,826,831) added to the […]

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February 26, 2014
economic news roundup and height matters
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 26, 2014
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Tall and Short Populations

Princeton economist Angus Deaton estimates that it will take 500 years for Indian women to reach the height of English women. In The Great Escape, Dr. […]

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February 23, 2014
Weekly Economic News Roundup and sleep time
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 23, 2014
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The Plight of the Night Owl

I must start with my bias. I am a night owl. So too were Winston Churchill and Charles Darwin, James Joyce and Glenn Gould. In one […]

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February 16, 2014
Downton Abbey Economics
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 16, 2014
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What Can We Learn From Downton Abbey Economics?

Downton Abbey can tell us a lot about the British economy…but not everything. We know the aristocracy is struggling. Many of the 700 families who had […]

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February 5, 2014
Noise Pollution and Negative Externalities
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 5, 2014
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1930s Noise Pollution

In 1932, the NYC Noise Abatement Commission received a letter from Mr. N. Schmuck of 137 Milton Street in Brooklyn about the noise from a nearby […]

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February 2, 2014
Beauty and Human Capital Nefertiti
Published by Elaine Schwartz at February 2, 2014
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The Reason That Certain Quarterbacks Earn More

A 3.2 difference in a facial symmetry score can mean an extra $378,000 in  pay for a quarterback. According to research from economist David Berri on […]

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January 30, 2014
Weekly Economic News Roundup and federal spending
Published by Elaine Schwartz at January 30, 2014
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Have We Halved the Deficit?

In the State-of-the-Union, President Obama said, “Our deficits–cut by more than half.” Looking at the federal deficit as a percent of GDP, we can say that the […]

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January 23, 2014
everyday economics and tax impact
Published by Elaine Schwartz at January 23, 2014
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One Reason That $1.1 Trillion is Not So Much

The Congress just agreed on $1.1 trillion in federal spending. But let’s look a bit more closely… Each year, I give my class a federal budget […]

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