When was the last time you stopped to pick up a penny? Considering most of us consider the one-cent coin almost worthless these days, it’s probably been a while. Still, the U.S. penny persists
Government
Will the EPA Change the Way It Measures M.P.G. Ratings? Maybe Just for Hybrids?
It’s widely believed that the mileage ratings of many hybrid cars are inflated. Is it time for the ratings system to change?
Virginia Is Worried Cars Are Becoming Too Fuel-Efficient
The average fuel economy of new vehicles rose 6% in 2012, and cars are expected to use less and less gas going forward. Isn’t that a good thing?
Are State-Owned Banks the Antidote to the Too-Big-To-Fail Epidemic?
The American Great Plains are known for their expansive farm lands, endless horizons, and — in recent history — staunchly conservative politics. So it may come as a surprise that only state-owned bank in the U.S. (an institution more widely associated with communist China than the Republican Party) can be found in ruby-red, rural North …
Walmart’s On-Again, Off-Again Relationship with Guns
Walmart representatives met with Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday to talk guns and gun control. But how important are gun sales to Walmart’s bottom line?
Obama Inauguration Tickets – Which Are Distributed Free – Listed Online for $7,500 Apiece
No one present at next week’s swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama as president is supposed to pay a dime to attend the event. But some attendees may be paying thousands of dollars for the privilege.
Is a $1 Trillion Coin a Good Way to Avoid Another Debt-Ceiling Impasse?
The summer of 2011 is not a time any of us would like to revisit, economically speaking. It was during this time that the European Debt Crisis had reached it’s most volatile stage, with many believing that a Greek exit from the …
Why Economists Are United in Their Dislike of the Fiscal Cliff Deal
One of the truths revealed by the debate over the fiscal cliff is that lawmakers in Washington are in bitter disagreement over the cause of and solution to our economic malaise. There is the Keynesian camp, which believes that …
Why the Fiscal Cliff Deal Should Have Included Social Security
Social Security may not add to the deficit, but it does add to the national debt. Fortunately, it’s easy to fix this.
Four Misconceptions About Taxes and the Deficit
A misguided response to the fiscal cliff could risk a recession while doing little to solve long-term financial problems
Do We Have Another Financial Bubble On Our Hands? Or Three?
Multiple debt markets are facing big trouble because of excessive borrowing and the Fed’s easy-money policies.
3 Approaches to Curbing Gun Violence — Using Economics
Last week’s tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut has done what many mass-shootings did not: reinvigorate the national debate over gun control. Advocates for restricting gun use in America have been on the retreat for almost two …
