Macroeconomic Measurement

December 28, 2014
Everyday econ omics and the metric switch
Published by Elaine Schwartz at December 28, 2014
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Why the Metric Switch is so Tough

The expense and complexities of switching to the metric system have prevented the change, and have affected how standard weights and measures help globalization.

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December 16, 2014
inclusion initiatives
Published by Elaine Schwartz at December 16, 2014
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Why Academy Award Winners Might Live Longer

Relating income inequality to the stress felt by low status Bolivian Tsimane men and academy award losers, researchers said that stress that harms health.

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December 11, 2014
Everyday day economics and the minimum wage
Published by Elaine Schwartz at December 11, 2014
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Is Your Favorite Economist Biased?

Illustrated through word use and data selection in research, politically liberal and conservative economists display a tendency toward confirmation bias.

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December 9, 2014
Everyday economics: Looking at the CPI and beyond, there are many ways to calculate the inflation rate.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at December 9, 2014
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Expanding How We Measure Inflation

Our CPI measure of the inflation rate has been debated because it could be calculated using a chained CPU, could be real time, and excludes some seniors.

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November 30, 2014
Everyday Economics — Oil stories
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 30, 2014
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Three Graphs That Tell the Whole Oil Story

Following the law of supply, U.S. shale oil firms will lower output because OPEC is letting price plummet but airlines on demand side like lower prices.

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November 27, 2014
Weekly roundup and income inequality
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 27, 2014
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A Bigger (Thanksgiving) Pie or Equal Slices?

Increasing income inequality by moving from communal farming to individual plots, Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford changed income redistribution.

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November 25, 2014
Understanding the employment report
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 25, 2014
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What An Unemployment Rate Does Not Tell You

A single statistic like the unemployment rate for Japan, the European Union and the U.S. can be misleading until we look more closely at what it represents.

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November 12, 2014
Everyday Economics of Dodd-Frank
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 12, 2014
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Dodd-Frank: When Is A Law Too Long To Obey?

With debated impact, a little more than half of the thousands of rules necessary for implementing the financial regulation in Dodd-Frank have been written.

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November 4, 2014
financial regulation
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 4, 2014
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The Benefits of Perpetual Federal Debt

Very long term federal debt that has no date for redemption like UK First World War bonds and U.S. Revolutionary War debt depend on good public credit.

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October 29, 2014
Everyday Economics: Displaying a regression to the world mean, China's real economic growth rate might be less than most people expect.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at October 29, 2014
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How Chinese Economic Growth Relates to Restaurants and Pilots

China might not fuel world economic growth if instead of a 7 percent real GDP growth rate forecast, we use a regression to the mean of 3.9 percent.

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October 27, 2014
empty sports stadium
Published by Elaine Schwartz at October 27, 2014
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The Reason Norway Said No to the Olympics

Because host countries for the Olympics and World Cup spend too much on new stadiums, their subsequent return on investment (ROI) is usually inadequate.

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October 26, 2014
Everyday economics: A misery index number conveys the potential distress created by unemployment and inflation.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at October 26, 2014
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An Economist’s Definition of Misery

While a misery index shows a nation's inflation and unemployment rates, the eurozone's high unemployment might create disproportionate unhappiness.

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