Looking at gasoline prices that are controlled by algorithms, we could be surprised by how they affect competition.…
What Presidents Added to Thanksgiving Economics
From George Washington to Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt to George H.W. Bush, U.S. presidents have influenced Thanksgiving economics.…
A 2018 Update: The World’s Top and Bottom Laissez-Faire Countries
The Index of Economic Freedom is a handy source of data for judging whether or not a government has a laissez-faire philosophy.…
Why Santa Was On a Two Dollar Bill
Starting with Santa currency, states saying Christmas is an official holiday, and Christmas trees, in the 19th century holiday spending on Christmas grew.…
Weekly Roundup: From Venezuela’s French Fries to the Army’s Pizza
Posts Roundup Sunday 11.01.15 How to be inches away from getting hired…more Monday 11.02.15 Why one-child could be here to stay…more Tuesday 11.03.15 The army food we eat at home…mor…
How to Make the Invisible Hand Disappear
With shortages of basic necessities, price controls, lack of foreign exchange and rising prices, Venezuela’s inflation rate is soaring.…
Lessons We Can Learn From a Pizza
Relating to the environment, prices and innovation, a pizza box illustrates that in economics the invisible can be more important than what we see.…
Weekly Roundup: From Baseball Contracts to Super Bowl Ads
Our week’s everyday economics include inflation, supply and demand, income mobility, property rights, incentives, default, CDS, and monopoly pricing.…
Can Economists See the Hot Hand?
With implications that extend beyond sports, believers in classical economics and in behavioral economics are debating whether players can have streaks.…
Hey, Spotify. Taylor Swift called. She wants her money.
With the music industry moving from CDs to streaming, firms like Spotify have created new supply and demand and new incentives for performers and providers.…