Plain Sense Economics

The old saying in Washington is that Social Security is the third rail of politics (as in – “touch it and you die.”)
David Leonhardt wrote about a new stimulus proposal in today’s New York Times that raises questions about politics, economic stimulus, and cost of living adjustments.
If you wanted to help the economy and you [...]

In his best selling principles textbook, Prof. Mankiw outlines 10 fundamental principles of economics.
Here is the rap version, for your entertainment. The player below gives a teaser, with a link to the full version, which is free to listen to.

Demand, Supply – Rhythm, Rhyme, Results

Gregory Mankiw posted this question on his blog:
You are a utilitarian social planner. You have a limited number of H1N1 vaccines. How do you allocate them? Do you (A) give them to specific groups, such as high-risk populations, or (B) sell them to the highest bidder and rebate the revenue lump-sum to everyone? If you [...]

al’-le-gory – a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

This story ran on NPR’s Morning Edition – October 21.
Pet health care is now crossing the same magic threshold that human health care crossed decades ago: It’s getting good, and it’s getting [...]

For political junkies the next several weeks should be very interesting, as the Senate and House (and various splinter groups within each chamber) try to construct a healthcare reform package that works and will garner enough votes.
No one from Washington has called me – asking for my preferences, but in the interest of illuminating both [...]