Why China’s Two-Child Policy Might Not Work

Although China has said it will replace its one-child policy with a two child limit, small families remain a social norm that will be tough to change.

Deciding If We Should Be More Like Denmark

While Denmark has universal healthcare, family benefits and pays for college, its social welfare system requires high taxes and other sacrifices.

Part 1: Understanding the Student Loan Crisis

The characteristics of the student loan crisis include a high default and delinquency rate, huge amounts of money and a personal and macroeconomic impact.

Why Doing Good is Not Always Easy

By recognizing the tradeoffs of recycling, preserving endangered species and improving world health, doing good could become more productive.

Why a Life Needs a Price Tag

Although it seems callous, for safety regulation like speed limits and for victims’ compensation like 9/11 we need to quantify the value of a life.

Using a Fat Tail to Describe Stock Market Risk

When the unexpected occurs and changes our view of stock market risk, we call it a black swan or fat tail because it is far from the mean of a bell curve.

How Your Lawn is About More Than Grass

Nothing but grass, lawns began as conspicuous consumption from the English and French aristocracy and now are a middle class manicured status symbol.

The Values That Make Us Spend More

For major OECD countries and the U.S., the source and destination for healthcare spending reflect national values about limited government.

How to Deal With Skyscraper Shadows

Whenever a new skyscraper is built, we can ask whether its shadow violates our property rights when it eliminates the sunlight in a city’s parks.

Paying More at the Gas Pump

Because of a low gasoline tax, the Highway Trust Fund does not have enough money to maintain the transportation infrastructure of highways and mass transit.