Area: Economics
A Simplified Tax Code and Post-Communist Growth
Study suggests flat tax systems boosted GDP in former Soviet republics and satellites
The Role of Chance Encounters in Silicon Valley Innovation
Cellphone signals and patent citations approximate a theory’s long-sought paper trail
College Completion and Your Genome (Don’t Get Too Excited)
It’s still early days in genetic research, though advances will aid study of educational attainment and, notably, disease
How Dollar Stores Contribute to Food Deserts
Expanding chains drive out independent grocers, reduce access to fresh produce
How Far Would You Go for an Ivy League Kid?
Study finds interest in screening embryos for education propensity, especially if everyone else is doing it
Do Social Laws Always Cause a Backlash?
Laws that threaten ideological preferences prompt some opponents to adopt more extreme beliefs
As Concentrated Shareholder Ownership Rises, Wages and Employment Suffer
Where big investors gather, corporate wealth is reallocated away from workers
Measuring the Impact of Currency Moves on Consumer Prices
It varies across goods and services and can be blunted by monetary policy
COVID-19 Tactics Varied by Gender Among Brazilian Mayors Running for Reelection
Notable differences in death rates; it appears candidates factored in voter gender bias
Societies With a Legacy of Herding: More Prone to Current Day Violence
A culture that valorized revenge among pre-industrial herders resonates today
Surge Pricing’s Benefits Go to a Subset of Ride-Hailing Drivers
Full-timers gain the least, part-time drivers the most
The Unhappy Quest for a Happiness Index
Pushing aside GDP for a measure of human well-being turns out to be very, very difficult. Ask Dan Benjamin
Shorter Workweek Could Help Close the Gender Wage Gap
Study of medical residencies shows shift in women’s specialty choices when hours reduced
Career Mentoring Default — Women for Women — Altered by Quality Data
A well-intentioned best practice, gender matching might not be optimal
Long Before COVID-19, School Summer Breaks Disrupted Women’s Careers
Households with kids ages 6 to 12 feel the interruption most
Hospital Financial-Aid Programs Boost Use of Vital Health Care
Uninsured and insured both receive help; benefits are temporary