With Argentina again defaulting on her sovereign debt, she is violating the sanctity of contracts and lessened her borrowing ability at home and globally.
Macroeconomic Measurement
Greece Again?
With more austerity resistance to government spending cutbacks, Greece could again be heading for a sovereign debt default and a bailout.
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.
Three "Tear-Water" Graphs
The U.S. has had an economic recovery from the Great Recession with sluggish GDP growth, a worrisome output gap and slowly diminishing unemployment.
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, British economist John Maynard Keynes was reported to have crumpled up a pile of…
A Speedy Summary of Spending in the US Federal Budget
Right now, the Congress is supposedly debating the 2015 federal budget. Because the new fiscal year begins October 1, their deadline is September 30. But not really. 1996 was the last time the House and Senate punctually approved all necessary…
Celebrating Economic Independence
Yes, the United States declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 and won the American Revolutionary War. But still, we were not truly independent. George Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton knew that true independence required a vibrant economy. He had…
Six Facts About Australia From The "World Cup of Everything Else"
In a long list of categories that they called, “The World Cup of Everything Else,” WSJ created brackets from the 32 World Cup teams and determined the winners. In 6 areas, Australia was #1 or #2: For life expectancy, Australia comes in…
One Reason to Quit A Job
Have you ever gone through a series of phone messages that finally take you to the department you need? Then, after 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15, no one picks up and you start to wonder if you should hang up. Deciding what…
What Golf in China Shows About Economic Development
On a ladder of spending in developing economies, growing affluence first means wheat and meat. Then, climbing somewhat higher, people can afford consumer durables like a washing machine and a car. On a Chinese spending ladder, we could add golf. But it is a…