How to decide if adding $4 trillion (or so) to the U.S. debt is too much, too little, or just right? We can start with ourselves and ask if $200,000 is a lot to borrow when you buy a home.…
Macroeconomic Measurement
Why College Tuitions Are Up and Other Prices Are Down
It’s tough to find a real “list price” for a college tuition. According to NY Times money columnist Ron Lieber, the price charged by one school can vary considerably. Sort of like we all pay a different fare for the…
Grading Global Economic Health
Last month, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published its Global Competitiveness Report. The topics are broad and the questions are varied. Based on Executive Opinion Surveys from 126 economies, the answers are supposed to provide insight about short and long…
What a Disaster Can Cost Us
Looking at the past, we can plan for the future by being able to quantify disaster costs that range from hurricanes to drought.
How Covid Changed The Cost of Living
Changing the worldwide cost of living is one of the countless ways that the pandemic has impacted our daily lives.
The Red and Blue States That Select the Same Halloween Candy
Because the people in red and blue states prefer the same Halloween candy, we have one holiday that unites us.
How to Judge the Pandemic’s Economic Outlook
When we try to figure out the pandemic’s economic outlook, we can ask economists which metrics they would select.
Where Fewer Tourists Mean Bigger Problems
For countries with smaller economies that depend on tourism spending, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be even more devastating.
When the Good Life Is About More Than Happiness
Although psychologists have expanded the definition of the good life, still, the same economic policies relate to sustaining it.
Comparing Covid-19 to Past Costly Disasters
Looking at the economic impact of past costly disasters can help us develop policies that target where and how Covid-19 will affect us.