Government

August 27, 2014
Everyday Economics: With opportunity cost, planners can decide how much natural disaster preparation is worth the tradeoff.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at August 27, 2014
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The Costs of Being Prepared for a Natural Disaster

Whereas natural disaster preparation can save lives, it might have too high an opportunity cost to make sense or be a ShakeAlert that has been proven.

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August 17, 2014
Everyday Economics — Oil stories
Published by Elaine Schwartz at August 17, 2014
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A Closer Look at the EU 28 Economic Growth Rate

Looking at a European average economic growth rate, unemployment rate and GDP to debt ratio is misleading because of countries' disparate economies.

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August 11, 2014
weekly economic roundup and pension income systems
Published by Elaine Schwartz at August 11, 2014
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Will You Get Your Social Security Benefits?

The 2014 Social Security Trustees Report says that after we deplete the remains of the program's trust funds in 2033, payroll taxes will not provide all promised benefits.

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August 4, 2014
The spread of refrigeration in China will create positive and negative externalities that relate to productivity, diet, health and the environment.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at August 4, 2014
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The Spillover from Refrigerators in China

The spread of refrigeration in China has positive and negative externalities that relate to household diets, greenhouse gases and transport and home waste.

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July 31, 2014
Violating the sanctity of contracts, Argentina has again defaulted on her sovereign debt and diminished her ability to borrow.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 31, 2014
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Argentina's (Long) Default History

With Argentina again defaulting on her sovereign debt, she is violating the sanctity of contracts and lessened her borrowing ability at home and globally.

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July 28, 2014
Calculating the GDP involves many decisions and using it can be controversial as in Greece.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 28, 2014
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Why the GDP is Much More Than a Number

Seemingly just a statistic, how we calculate the GDP and how it is used can be controversial and affect the lives of millions of people.

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July 20, 2014
Everyday Economics — Oil stories
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 20, 2014
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Chart of the Week: The Rare Disease Spending Dilemma

Our Sunday Chart of the Week Since our chart looks at Medicaid spending on rare diseases, we better start with Medicaid. It is complicated. Yes, Medicaid […]

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July 17, 2014
JS Mill's support of redistribution from taxation in the AFA
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 17, 2014
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John Stuart Mill on Affordable Health Care

A child prodigy, 19th century economist John Stuart Mill said in his Autobiography that, “I have no remembrance of the time when I began Greek; I […]

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July 16, 2014
Weekly Economic News Roundup and federal spending
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 16, 2014
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John Maynard Keynes and the Generational Impact of Entitlements

Before seeing how we are benefiting unequally from entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, let’s start with some history. During 1934, with unemployment high and production low, […]

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July 14, 2014
traffic lights and Adam Smith's Laissez-faire
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 14, 2014
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Adam Smith and Traffic Lights

Located 30 miles from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the island of Nantucket has no traffic lights. Instead, drivers respond to stop signs, rotaries, and courtesy. More often […]

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July 7, 2014
Indian development and tradeoffs from roads and cars
Published by Elaine Schwartz at July 7, 2014
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The Difference Between India's Stories and Statistics

There is a village in Southern India called Kadapakkam. It had been a home to farmers and fishermen whose thatched huts had no running water and no electrical appliances. At traditional tea shops […]

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