Area: Economics

Illustration of a man looking at a carrot while a magnet opens his head Research Brief / Nudges

Behavioral Economics: Are Nudges Cost-Effective?

A team of experts makes the financial case that governments should spend more on nudging

A lone red char in empty office. Research Brief / Investing

As Concentrated Shareholder Ownership Rises, Wages and Employment Suffer

Where big investors gather, corporate wealth is reallocated away from workers

A Soviet Union propaganda poster for May Day in 1950 that features a man and woman. Research Brief / Economics

An Enemy’s Economic Success Sparked U.S. Congressional Cooperation

Bipartisan action rose amid reports of surprising Soviet Cold War economic growth

Illustration of Caribbean Research Brief / Labor

An Early Episode of How Corporate Profits Shaped Labor Markets

Caribbean plantation owners, faced with slavery’s end, enacted legal barriers to employment elsewhere

A man with a headlamp and safety helmet on Research Brief / Wealth Inequality

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

A man is lost in a foggy field with blue signs all around him. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

Amateurs Struggle To Incorporate Market Signals About Pricing into Their Trades

Disregarding data, novices often sail into strong winds

A for rent sign in front of a row of houses Research Brief / Housing

All Things in Moderation, Including Rent Control?

A California law seems to avoid worst side effects: rising condo conversions and a slowdown in new home construction

Coworkers at a bar talking Research Brief / Gender Gap

All Along the Pipeline, Men Promote Men

At one bank, the cumulative effect of male bonding accounts for 39% of the gender pay gap

Group of people standing in queue to board airplane. Research Brief / Competition

Airline Shareholders Were the Big Losers from Deregulation

Consumers, on the other hand, gained in good times and bad

An illustration of a giant monitor with a brain inside and a person in shadow staring up at it. Research Brief / Artificial Intelligence

AI, Asked for Life Advice for Young Adults, Doesn’t Just Echo What Humans Recommend

Left unsaid: The bot wasn’t very confident in its own advice

Khasi Women holding vegetables and smiling Research Brief / Gender

Age-Old Cultural Norms Dictate Gender Roles Even Today

Looking beyond traditional explanations

People standing in line with face masks Research Brief / Politics

A Tool for Uncovering Voter Suppression

Smartphone data reveals that wait times at the polls are much longer for black people

Man carrying a ball, playing indigenous sports Research Brief / Cultural History

A Stabler Climate Means Stronger Traditions

The link between environmental stability and cultural change explains why cultures evolve

An illustration denoting the political divide in the U.S. with four hands holding ballots on the left with a blue overlay a ballot box in the middle and four hands holding ballots on the right with a red overlay. Research Brief / Politics

A Small Shift in Voter Composition in Primaries Could Push the US Away from Extremism

The centrist-minded are often no-shows when their parties are choosing candidates for general elections

A color photo of four catcti with a cactus blossom on the end at right. Research Brief / Taxes

A Simplified Tax Code and Post-Communist Growth

Study suggests flat tax systems boosted GDP in former Soviet republics and satellites

Book cover of American Default Book Review / Economics

A Shocking Tale of Sovereign Default and Private Contracts Nullified

Sebastian Edwards brings to life a widely forgotten chapter of U.S. history starring FDR, his no-name economist and the demise of the gold standard