Election Analysis
The best analysis of election results that I have seen comes from Mike Luckovich of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: For more of his work, http://www.cagle.com/author/mike-luckovich/
Can Oregon’s Legislature Adapt to Economic Cycles?
I was invited to testify before a joint session of Oregon's Senate Finance and Revenue Committee and the House Revenue Committee to discuss how private sector businesses are dealing with economic uncertainty. I began with …
Using Staffing Companies to Reduce Unemployment
I recently wrote a paper for the National Center for Policy Analysis. The summary: More than 75 years since the system was created, unemployment insurance is still a contentious issue. Whether the problem is a …
Economic Policy: The Real Expert Viewpoint
We economists are often accused of never agreeing with one another, but the accusation is often not true. It appears to be true with respect to public policy because almost every policy has winners and …
What Should the Government Do About the Economy?
I’ve been avoiding public policy in this blog, preferring to focus on ideas with actionable implications for business leaders. However, you’ve been asking, so here’s the answer. You should probably ignore this post and get …
Budget Deal and the Economic Outlook
Note: this post has been edited from its original content. New material is at the end. Keynesians are bemoaning the new budget deal. Cutting federal spending when the economy is soft will further weaken us, …
What’s the Pursuit of Happiness All About?
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." …
Economic Causes of the Decline of Rome
Will Durant sums it up well: "The economic causes of Rome's decline have already been stated as prerequisite to the understanding of Diocletioan's reforms; they need only a reminding summary here. The precarious dependence upon …
What’s Wrong with Egypt’s Economy?
After the demonstrations started in Egypt, a number of commentators asked what was wrong with Egypt's economy. Matthew Kaminski, writing in the Wall Street Journal, noted "To the public at large, Gamal Mubarak symbolizes obscene …
Housing: Even More Risky Mortgages Being Made Now
We had the housing boom, with millions of risky mortgages made to shaky borrowers. Then we learned our lesson. Banks tightened lending standards. Congress passed financial reform legislation. What's the result? Today 60% of all …
Economic Lesson from Ancient Rome
What I learned on my vacation.
Unemployment and Extended Benefits: A Labor Day Comment
Today's employment report showed more joblessness. Harvard economist Robert Barro recently argued that today's unemployment rate might be as low as 6.8% rather than 9.5% (as of the time of his writing) if the maximum …