The new World Bank Human Capital Index was created to encourage the leaders of 157 countries to improve their healthcare and education.…
The Light Side of Economic Growth
Looking at William Nordhaus’s study of lighting history, we can see how increasingly cheaper illumination boosted our living standards.…
What Grey Poupon Says About Your Affluence
You can assume that individuals are affluent if their consumer spending includes iPads, Verizon Wireless, and Ziploc bags.…
The Health-Care Job Spurt
With health care becoming a job engine, we could have more physicians, nurses, and assistants twith job-related names like Payne, Butcher, and Burns.…
Celebrating Alexander Hamilton’s Economic Independence
Relevant today, the timeless ideas in Alexander Hamilton’s development plan are about sovereign debt, banking, and economic growth.…
The Mystery of the North Korean Economy
Looking at the North Korean economy, economists have to become detectives because the government refuses to share basic statistics.…
Do We Really Have a Student Loan Crisis?
With debt and delinquencies multiplying, a student loan crisis could be developing but on the other hand, not necessarily.…
When the Economy Is Like the Weather
Economic forecasting can frequently be inaccurate because of changing numbers and human bias or, as Yogi Berra reputedly said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.…
How to Measure Our Misery
The economic way to demonstrate sadness is to look at misery indexes that use macro data to measure changes in our emotions.…
Where to Find an Inventor
To fuel the innovation that jumpstarts economic growth, researchers have figured out less traditional ways that will encourage more people to become inventors.…