Ben's Place

Why Isn't the Economy Worse?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:41:52 -0500

"If you dammed up a river, then found you had too little water downstream, and so released a bit of..."

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:50:01 -0500

“If you dammed up a river, then found you had too little water downstream, and so released a bit of water from the dam, you could think of it as “importing more water.” Or you could think of it, more accurately, as removing the artificial barrier to supply.”

- Will Wilkinson / The Fly Bottle » Blog Archive » Oh, You Didn’t Want to Decrease Inequality That Way?

Inconvenient Arithmetic and Engineering

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 08:50:35 -0500

Inconvenient Arithmetic and Engineering

NFL Player IQ by Position Played

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:12:10 -0500

NFL Player IQ by Position Played

Dilbert mashed up

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:55:58 -0500

Dilbert mashed up

"So what can taxpayers expect from an increase in the Fed’s discretionary authority over..."

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:55:31 -0500

“So what can taxpayers expect from an increase in the Fed’s discretionary authority over investment banks? The likely answer is rescues, delays and lax supervision – followed by taxpayer-financed bailouts.”

- Keep the Fed Away From Investment Banks - WSJ.com

Should donors give to students rather than schools?

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:45:03 -0500

Should donors give to students rather than schools?

"contrary to widespread opinion, global inequality is declining significantly, not increasing"

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:41:32 -0500

“contrary to widespread opinion, global inequality is declining significantly, not increasing”

- FT.com - Boom time for the global bourgeoisie

"When women bear almost all of the burden of housework, the marginal cost of children for women is..."

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:32:34 -0500

“When women bear almost all of the burden of housework, the marginal cost of children for women is very high, so their quantity demanded goes down.”

- Sacerdote, Feyrer, Kids, and Gender Conflict

Forbes.com - The Water Shortage Myth

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:21:09 -0500

Forbes.com - The Water Shortage Myth

"Chicago economics was well-funded, it was not well-founded."

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:04:48 -0500

“Chicago economics was well-funded, it was not well-founded.”

- Are you serious Mr. Stiglitz?

CARPE DIEM: Forbes: Most Lucrative College Majors

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:06:28 -0500

CARPE DIEM: Forbes: Most Lucrative College Majors

"For the first time in American history, the current generation is not significantly more educated..."

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:43:38 -0500

“For the first time in American history, the current generation is not significantly more educated than its parents.”

- Why Is Income Inequality in America So Pronounced? Consider Education - New York Times

"Behind every piece of regulation there are politicians and special interests who benefit from..."

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:34:27 -0500

“Behind every piece of regulation there are politicians and special interests who benefit from it… A good illustration of this is Congressional testimony. Out of an average of 16 witnesses, there are typically .5 opponents of the proposal. Yes, that means that half of all proposals have zero hostile witnesses.”

- http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan/compet

"Biofuels are maybe a good test case for various estimates of government quality: will the bad..."

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:05:12 -0500

“Biofuels are maybe a good test case for various estimates of government quality: will the bad biofuels still be subsidized five years from now?”

- Marginal Revolution: How much do biofuels drive up food prices?

"if intolerant preferences are widespread, then Pigovian thinking justifies totalitarianism"

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:52:35 -0500

“if intolerant preferences are widespread, then Pigovian thinking justifies totalitarianism”

- Bryan Caplan Politely Declines to Join the Pigou Club

mp3 of Carter promising to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:36:30 -0500

mp3 of Carter promising to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil

What if Adam Smith was right about poverty?

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:44:07 -0500

What if Adam Smith was right about poverty?

"many of the same people who ridicule the idea that private-sector output is meaningfully reduced by..."

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:32:06 -0500

“many of the same people who ridicule the idea that private-sector output is meaningfully reduced by higher taxes are convinced that private-sector output is meaningfully raised by higher subsidies.”

- Marginal Revolution: Very good sentences

Obama Wants Tiger-Size Tax Bite

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:17:12 -0500

Obama Wants Tiger-Size Tax Bite