Topic: Economics
When It Pays Not to Help Your Customers Comparison Shop
Rakesh Sarin creates a model that shows consumer “ambiguity” about product quality should drive marketing and brand management strategy
Keynes vs. FDR: Lessons from the Great Recession
Sebastian Edwards finds Keynes’ public take-down of Roosevelt’s gold policies still relevant today
The Moat That Keeps Complex Asset Strategies Profitable
Andrea Eisfeldt finds that hedge funds with infrastructure to execute sophisticated arbitrage crowd out less-expert investors
When Ebola Strikes, Where Should Help Go?
Improving epidemic forecasting helps response teams target aid more effectively
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
How an Excess of Stock Analyst Optimism Lands on Companies Least Deserving of It
Results of financially weak firms are difficult to forecast; in uncertainty, Wall Street’s views are overly generous
A Stabler Climate Means Stronger Traditions
The link between environmental stability and cultural change explains why cultures evolve
Citizens Are Not Fooled by Fake Statistics
What happened when the Argentine government lied about inflation numbers?
Sizing Up the Measurable Good of Affirmative Action
An economic model sets aside who loses and focuses on efficiency and overall growth
Does Big News Drown Out Corporate Earnings Disclosures?
Henry Friedman’s research finds, surprisingly, that major economic news actually heightens attention paid to company announcements
The Housing Meltdown Would Have Been Far Worse Without California’s Anti-Foreclosure Laws
Restraining lenders saved hundreds of billions in home value
How Antitrust Thinking on Hospital Mergers Has Been Forced to Evolve
Matt Schmitt’s research shows hospital prices rise after acquisitions, even where local competition is unchanged
Do Hospital Mergers Really Cut Health Care Costs?
Matt Schmitt finds that size and location help determine how much, if any, costs fall after deals
Beyond Angry Mobs: Intellectuals in the French Revolution
History’s Encyclopédie subscribers are matched to grievances against the monarchy
Bringing a Sharper Focus to the Study of the Decline of Investment Diversification
Research measures the impact of global economic factors on returns
When Homeowners Confide in Google, Forecasters See Clues to Mortgage Defaults
Researchers developed an index that warns earlier than others about approaching home loan problems