Area: Economics
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
Narrowing a Theory on Why Judges Get Tough before Elections
They do, but only when facing a competitive election contest
Pay Transparency: Will It Help or Hurt Workers?
Many assume salary transparency will benefit employees, but research suggests downsides, too
Municipal Pension Crisis Made Worse by Democrats in Close Elections
Sixty years of data suggest retirement obligations rise after Democrats scrape into office
An Early Episode of How Corporate Profits Shaped Labor Markets
Caribbean plantation owners, faced with slavery’s end, enacted legal barriers to employment elsewhere
Parents Who Favor Boys Raise Girls Who Score Lower in Math
A clue that parents prefer a son: They have more kids when their firstborn is a girl
Do Private Prisons Lead to Higher Incarceration Rates?
Researchers take on the difficult job of isolating for-profit prisons from a host of other factors
When Manufacturers Commence Exporting, They Become More Efficient
Looking at costs, in a sample of 5,000 plants in Chile, remarkable productivity gains occur
Culture Affects How People Save Money
Immigrants show saving tendencies that carry through several generations
Do People Donate Money to Signal Their Intelligence?
Research suggests such a connection when donations are publicized
Shaming of Tax Delinquents Works
34,334 letters were sent to test how sensitive those owing back taxes are to neighbors’ knowledge of the debts
Setting the Tax Rate on Legal Marijuana: Consumption, State Revenue and the Black Market
Taxes not high enough? An examination of Washington’s experience even suggests state ownership of pot stores might boost the public coffers
Descendants of Forced Migrants Value Education More Highly
Post-World War II Poland provides a unique setting to study mobility and success
Impact of High-Speed Rail: Surprising Data on Real Estate Prices
In Japan, speedier commutes let workers live farther from jobs, taking some pressure off high-priced housing markets
Through the Minimum Wage Looking Glass: Economic Consensus Unrealized
Researchers struggle with faulty study designs, flyspecking each other’s work, re-arguing decades of debate about jobs and income
In Some Places, Fertility Rates Declined Before the Industrial Revolution
Using parish records, researchers examine fundamental changes in society following the French Revolution