Regulatory Policy

November 7, 2014

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.

October 2, 2014

Marijuana Money Problems

Colorado's marijuana growers and dealers are wasting resources because banks and insurance companies will not act as their financial intermediaries.

September 30, 2014

A Solution for Too Few Doctors: More Patience

Decreases in supply, increases in demand and legislative price ceilings are resulting in "network adequacy" problems for U.S. healthcare systems.

September 14, 2014

The Nudge Toward a Goldilocks Savings Rate

We need to raise the low U.S. savings rate with new incentives like a lottery on savings deposits because households and business investment need savings.

August 31, 2014

Bedtime Stories… About the Economy.

From statistics and a satellite image of the world at night, we can see that developing countries lack the electrification they need for economic growth.

August 29, 2014

Solving the Airplane Seat Problem

According to Ronald Coase, if reclining in an airline seat creates a negative externality, both parties can negotiate because the transaction costs are low.

August 27, 2014

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.

July 20, 2014

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 […]

July 17, 2014

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 […]

July 4, 2014

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 […]

June 13, 2014

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 […]