How to Become More Productive

Shown by Fitbits, workplace output goals and division of labor, when implicit and explicit targets increase self-control, they boost productivity.

Our Weekly Roundup: From Dental Care to Haircuts

This week’s everyday economics stories include income elasticity of demand, positive externalities, GDP, economic indicators, human capital & entitlements.

The Expensive Side of (Venezuela’s) Cheap Gas

Subsidies and taxes determine the price of gasoline. Whether gasoline is cheap or expensive, its price affects people’s incentives and national tradeoffs.

The Problems With College Ranking

Just like grading human capital, ranking college quality through a single number hides the subjectivity of the process.

From Estonia: Cheap International Calls, Priceless Tweets

Estonia’s market economy resulted from eurozone membership, human capital and infrastructure development and fiscal discipline.

Weekly Roundup: From Airline Seats to Earthquakes

Our weekly roundup includes everyday economics that relate to opportunity cost, corporate taxation, GDP, monopolistic competition & negative externalities.

The Path of the Shifting Center of Global Economic Power

Led by Chinese economic growth and other emerging markets, the center of economic gravity is moving eastward from the developed world to Asia.

Can an Earthquake Be Good for the Economy?

19th century economic writer Frederic Bastiat warned that a disaster spending GDP boost is misleading because of unseen sacrificed economic activity.

Understanding African Development Through Stories and Stats

By combining stories from Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah and statistics, we can create a more realistic picture of African development.

Our Weekly Roundup: From Argentina to North Dakota

Today’s weekly roundup includes the everyday economics of sovereign debt defaults, oil boom towns, athletes’ labor markets and the GDP.