Macroeconomics

December 15, 2014
Everyday economics and the internet in Italy
Published by Elaine Schwartz at December 15, 2014
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Italy and the EU: An Internet Story

Looking at internet connectivity as a part of the EU's information infrastructure, we can see how Italy is behind and reflects member nation contrasts.

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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 13, 2014
Everyday Economics: Because water is not a public good, neither Ireland nor Detroit need provide it without charging.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 13, 2014
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Should Water Be Free?

Although protestors in Detroit and Ireland say water is a human right, economists, citing a definition of a public good and a tornado alarm, would disagree.

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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 10, 2014
More people vote when they believe it is a social norm.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 10, 2014
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The Difference That a Sticker Makes

Because "I Voted" stickers indicate voting is a social norm, like paying taxes or saving electricity, people are more likely to act like their neighbors.

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November 7, 2014
Weekly economic news roundup and marijuana update
Published by Elaine Schwartz at November 7, 2014
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Four Ways to Understand Marijuana Demand

With an increasing number of states legalizing marijuana, demand is shifting because of changes in utility, complementary products and the number of buyers.

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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 30, 2014
Everyday Economics: Changes in supply and demand for many reasons increased the price of chocolate.
Published by Elaine Schwartz at October 30, 2014
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Is Ebola Threatening the Price of Chocolate?

While Ebola fear caused raw cocoa futures prices to rise in September, its long term rise has been because of more demand from developing nations.

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