Everyday Economics - Suggest a New Topic
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2089 results found
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How do we develop meaningful work for many people who are (or will be) un-, under-, temporarily, or miserably employed by technology?
I have read that we will continue to lose jobs as the impact of technology broadens. Yet meaningful work is the way many of us define our lives.
5 votes -
Why does knowledge have increasing returns?
Since you've started by talking about trade and the division of labor, a discussion of knowledge's effects on labor productivity would be relevant. For example, why does LeBron James play basketball better if there are other good players on his team? (Example stolen from Bill Easterly's explanation of complementarity and skill matching in Elusive Quest for Growth.)
23 votes -
Why is it so difficult to debate with socialists? Request everyday arguments like principles.
I wanted some inputs from you on how to debate the socialists. What are those basic 7 or 8 or 10 or 13 points where they always go wrong. Something like principles which could be abstracted. For example they always go wrong in assuming that things can be planned which can be squashed by speaking to them of disasters, diseases which come unplanned. Of course they still argue that "govt can make allocation" but immediately they know (and they also know that their audience knows) that they have started treading on thin ice. One more thing for example which I…
17 votes -
What is the value of a common currency?
Why does a common currency work in the United States but not in the European Union? I've heard that the difference between the strengths of the German and Greek economies (for instance) make the euro union fail, but don't US states also differ in the strength of their economies--why don't we see the same destructive effects of a common currency?
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12 votes
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With specialization there is profit. So wouldn't it be beneficial to offer free collage?
The more videos you watch the more they say specialization is key. So to specialize you need education. Would it not greatly benefit us all if we could have more people with special knowledge?
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Are Neighborhood Associations an advance in local representation?
There are an ever growing proliferation of Neighborhood Associations throughout the country but the ones in Multnomah County Oregon have been in operation for over 40 years. They claim this is the new advance in political representation at the local level but the overall effect has been more control by fewer people who are even more parochial than the bureaucrats in Town Hall.
www.portlandonline.com/ONI is the litmus for the program.1 vote -
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Housing - should cities be allowed to build it as a commodity - e.g., electricity. Taxes now main component of housing cost.
Some cities are not big enough, and most do not have housing for homeless people or even working people. If cities could decide what would make their size optimal, and then provide housing - in the way that cities sometimes now provide electricity or water if there is not a vendor of these services - cities could build to an optimal size, and provide the kind of housing that meets the population needs. Currently, property tax is a huge component of housing cost, and that might go to the state. Also, the cost of property transfer within market rates due…
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1 vote
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Money and Banking Update
What is the fed up to over the past 8 years post recession vs what I was taught in the 1970s and 1980s. I was taught that the fed should keep a dollar worth a dollar and not to intentionally promote inflation. Compare the former open market operations with today's QE programs and direct purchases. What are the pros and cons of the new approach.
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4 votes
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Can you please make a video of why my country Kosovo has unemployment of more than 40% even after 16 years have passed since war? I know so
Can you please make a video of why my country Kosovo has unemployment of more than 40% even after 16 years have passed since war? I know some faults go to corrupted, incapable politicians but i want an economist point of view. Thanks!
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Why hasn't gobs more money past the 2009 recovery ignited high inflation?
What would Milton Friedman say about the comparatively low levels of inflation from 2009 to 2016 despite Fed printing presses running in overdrive?
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How can we best take advantage of charitable dollars and development money from rich countries?
I love the work of GiveWell in attempting to rigorously evaluate charities to help donors pick the most evidence-supported charitable organizations. However, this assumes that donors will give a set amount of money and are just looking for a recipient. In practice, I think donors are more likely to give to some groups that tug at the heart strings, that are related to current news, etc. Some charities won't be supported by rich governments for ideological reasons. So besides using metrics like lives saved per dollar, how can we maximize donations from rich countries and ensure that they do the…
1 vote -
Coping With Tech Driven Housing Booms / Rent Control
Different kinds of rent controls - hard caps, regulated increases, tenancy decontrol, different approaches to charging "fair rents" and problems with linking to CPI.
What should/could be done to cope in a housing boom? E.g. San Francisco, New York and so forth.
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Is there a general rule as to when a government SHOULD intervene in an economy?
Is there a general rule as to when a government SHOULD intervene in an economy?
1 vote -
Did colonization help colonizing nations?
It's clear that some groups benefited (many producers got cheaper inputs/resources than otherwise), but did nations as a whole benefit (at the expense of the colony)?
1 vote
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