Area: Economics
Municipal Pension Crisis Made Worse by Democrats in Close Elections
Sixty years of data suggest retirement obligations rise after Democrats scrape into office
Pay Transparency: Will It Help or Hurt Workers?
Many assume salary transparency will benefit employees, but research suggests downsides, too
Narrowing a Theory on Why Judges Get Tough before Elections
They do, but only when facing a competitive election contest
Modern Monetary Theory: Fiasco in Latin America, Option in U.S.?
The populist model, embraced by some on the American left, resembles policy that helped torpedo some smaller economies
Businesses Vastly Overestimate the Likelihood of Being Audited
Should tax-collecting agencies keep audit activity secret to discourage cheating?
How People Gather Information — or Don’t — to Make Decisions
Personal beliefs, especially among the less educated, often outweigh actual data
Women Are Likelier to Drop Out after Early Political Loss
But the “persistence gap” in seeking elective office narrows with experience
Gender Gaps in School Performance
Socioeconomic factors magnify the boy-girl divide and can explain cross-race differences
Americans Want to Help Poor People, but Only the Hard-Working Poor
Biases around race, nation-of-origin and disability are small compared to the preference for helping the diligent
All Along the Pipeline, Men Promote Men
At one bank, the cumulative effect of male bonding accounts for 39% of the gender pay gap
Political and Charitable Giving: One Rises, the Other Falls
In an election year, that’s bad news for organizations like the American Red Cross
Patience Is a Virtue — Up to a Certain Point
The happiest people are moderately patient, not into extreme delayed gratification
Government Coverage of Payrolls Could Cost Less than Jobless Benefits
Analysis also suggests a more rapid economic recovery by keeping workers and employers allied
Entering the Job Market in Recession: The Prognosis Worsens
New research suggests increased risk of illness and death in middle age, on top of longer-lasting income penalty
How Clinton and Trump Voters Behave in — and Spread — a Pandemic
Estimates are based on smartphone data and precinct-level 2016 vote results
A Tool for Uncovering Voter Suppression
Smartphone data reveals that wait times at the polls are much longer for black people