Topic: Economics

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

A screenshot of an online selling tutorial on Amazon. Research Brief / Competition

Amazon (and Other Platforms) vs. Third-Party Sellers: Complicated Debate

Some data shows competing against the platform can help sellers, if not consumers

A residential street with houses on each side of the street, Research Brief / Real Estate

Equity-Rich Homeowners Overpay for Their Next House

Less diligent as shoppers, such buyers help drive up home prices

A nighttime image of a homeless encampment on a city corner in Los Angeles. Research Brief / Wealth Inequality

Go Ahead, You Decide How Much Wealth Should Be Redistributed

Can modern decision theory, paired with a half-century-old thought experiment, help make a more just society?

A nighttime blurry image of a woman and a man walking into a store. Research Brief / Economics

CEOs Risk Alienating Customers with High-Profile Activism

Taking a stand on controversial issues can hurt sales, but the effect is brief

High angle blurred view of pillars forming green dollar sign Research Brief / Investing

A Different Way to Evaluate Private Equity Performance

An approach tailored to investor risk appetite and more comparable to stocks

A collage of faces in white frames on a light green background Research Brief / Investing

How a Stock Analyst’s Face Affects Their Earning Estimates

Trustworthy and dominant-seeming men: access to corporate management. Dominant-seeming women: not so much.

An image of the national debt amount Research Brief / Debt

How Much Debt Can the Government Roll Over Forever?

Public bonds compete against other investments; a model of that relationship

A male medical professional and a female nedical professional examine test results. Research Brief / Health Care

Mandated Disclosure of Clinical Trials Ignored — Especially for Competitive Drugs

Pharma companies less likely to disclose critical drug information than public institutions

A woman with long hair hangs up a for sale sign Research Question / Real Estate

Middlemen: Matchmakers or Sources of Strategic Information?

Probing that question using a database of for-sale-by-owner home listings

Fed Chair Jerome Powell stands at a podium and answers questions from the press Feature / Economics

Forecasting a Recession Using Easy-to-Grasp Images

A look at the shape of five variables through the last seven downturns vs. today’s numbers

A view of a petrochemical plant at night Research Brief / Competition

Sunk Costs Work as Barrier to Exit

Firms endure losses in hopes of a turnaround

A refugee carrying a basket on their head walks through a tent encampment. Research Brief / Sustainability

Can Humanitarian Aid Turn Wastefulness to Sustainability?

Seeing global crises as ongoing, rather than episodic, and applying modern supply-chain management

Book Review / Happiness

A Method to Happiness: Tested in the Lab and in Life

Cassie Holmes’ book combines social science and personal history; jilted on the way to the altar

A pill bottle lies on its side with white pills spilling out Research Brief / Health Care

Public Disclosure of Drug Company Gifts: High-Prescribing Physicians Unaffected

The average doctor, following sunshine laws, writes fewer Rx’s for marketed medicines

A cityscape at sunset overlaid with a grid of lighted network Research Brief / Banking

Banks Transmit Financial Shocks, Including from Natural Disasters

How a localized flood may result in fewer loans to a far-off community