Meritocracy and US Elite Higher Education
A fascinating piece by Ron Unz – “The Myth of American Meritocracy”
Regional Trade Agreements
Martin Feldstein on the Indian Economy
Government’s Role in the Financial Crisis
Attention Economy
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Renminbi Marches On ...
Mike Rees (writing in the FT) notes the following about
Renminbi’s rapid rise:
“The exponential
growth of the renminbi as a trading currency – and of the offshore renminbi
market – continues to stun observers. Three years in, despite global headwinds,
and the scarcity of arbitrage opportunities as onshore and offshore rates have
converged, renminbi redenomination shows no sign of faltering. Trade in
renminbi in 2012 is on track for $425bn, up almost 30 per cent on 2011.”
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Technology, Jobs, and Economic Growth – The Debate Continues
Technology, Jobs, and Economic Growth – The Debate Continues
Princeton economist Paul Krugman on the factors driving rising
inequality:
“… One is that
technology has taken a turn that places labor at a disadvantage; the other is
that we’re looking at the effects of a sharp increase in monopoly power. Think
of these two stories as emphasizing robots on one side, robber barons on the
other.”
Harvard economist Ken Rogoff makes a good point:
“There
are certainly those who believe that the wellsprings of science are running
dry, and that, when one looks closely, the latest gadgets and ideas driving
global commerce are essentially derivative. But the vast majority of my
scientist colleagues at top universities seem awfully excited about their
projects in nanotechnology, neuroscience, and energy, among other cutting-edge
fields. They think they are changing the world at a pace as rapid as we have
ever seen. Frankly, when I think of stagnating innovation as an economist, I
worry about how overweening monopolies stifle ideas, and how recent changes
extending the validity of patents have exacerbated this problem.”
Monday, December 10, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Global Economic Conditions – An Update
Global Economic Conditions – An Update
Global Manufacturing
Survey data suggests that the recent slowdown in the global economy was
more likely a result of key regions hitting a soft patch, and, not an indication of a worldwide recession.
An interesting note from Neil Irwin of Washington Post:
“… This is a
run-of-the-mill recession in Europe, not an all-out economic collapse. The
weakness in China and other emerging Asian economies is more a soft patch than
an end to two decades of rip-roaring growth. If those trends hold up, then
exports to the rest of the world can be a strength for the United States in
2013, rather than a drag.”
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The US Tax Reform Debate
US Tax Reform Debate:
Should US Corporate Tax System be a Territorial Tax System?
David Brooks on the Need for a Consumption Based Tax System
The Silly Game of Tax Subsidies Being Played by States and
Municipalities
Evolution of Tax Burden
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