The Redistribution Recession; specifically, Professor Mulligan’s finding that increases in the benefits available to unemployed workers help to explain the depth of the Great Recession which began in 2007 and the slowness of the recovery (particularly in the labor market) since then.]]>
All posts by Jim Garven
A Jobless Dilemma: What’s Wrong With Fort Wayne?
A Jobless Dilemma: What’s Wrong With Fort Wayne?
This article provides an interesting case study of some of the important problems which have been plaguing the labor market ever since the onset of the Great Recession in 2007. It also corroborates some of the recently published findings in Casey Mulligan’s book entitled The Redistribution Recession; specifically, Professor Mulligan’s finding that increases in the benefits available to unemployed workers help to explain the depth of the Great Recession which began in 2007 and the slowness of the recovery (particularly in the labor market) since then.
Obama's Famous Tax 'Victory'
Obama’s Famous Tax ‘Victory’ – WSJ.com WSJ columnist Kim Strassel writes, “Top marginal income tax rates may go up. But the president’s second-term spending wish list will be history.”]]>
Obama’s Famous Tax ‘Victory’
Obama’s Famous Tax ‘Victory’ – WSJ.com
WSJ columnist Kim Strassel writes, “Top marginal income tax rates may go up. But the president’s second-term spending wish list will be history.”
The Fantasy of a 91% Top Income Tax Rate
Peter Schiff: The Fantasy of a 91% Top Income Tax Rate – WSJ.com.
Peter Schiff parses the historical facts on the incidence of the US income tax; by incidence, I mean the actual taxes that one pays as a function of his or her actual income. By doing so, he corroborates an important fact, which is that the US already has in place one of the more progressive personal income tax systems in the world (for further evidence to this effect, see Table 4.5 of the Tax Foundation article entitled “No Country Leans on Upper-Income Households as Much as U.S.”). Furthermore, Schiff notes that “A liberal article of faith that confiscatory taxes fed the postwar boom turns out to be an Edsel of an economic idea.”
Economist Debates: Would the economy be better off without MBA students?
Economist Debates: Business education.
The Economist debates this issue and the answer is apparently “yes” by a margin of 51-49 – not all that different from the US presidential election outcome, with the MBA student losing out in both cases…
Christmas approaches – The Big Picture – Boston.com
Christmas approaches – The Big Picture – Boston.com.
A wonderful photo-essay on Christmas from our friends at the Boston Globe. Quoting from this article,
“The appearance of multiple simultaneous Santa Clauses is a sure sign that mankind’s most widely recognized and commercialized religious holiday is near. It’s also a sign that the holiday is celebrated by many more people than just faithful Christians, for better or worse. From the traditional Christmas markets in Germany to elfin divers feeding dolphins in Japan to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem where it all began, Christmas is observed worldwide for commercial, irreverent, and religious reasons. Gathered here are images of people as they herald the advance of an entire season built, loosely or faithfully, around the birth of Jesus Christ.”
The Birthrate and America’s Future – NYTimes.com
The Birthrate and America’s Future – NYTimes.com.
Ross Douthat writes, “America has had a demographic advantage, but that is no longer a sure thing.”
Earth at Night – Photo Journal
Earth at Night – Photo Journal – WSJ.
New satellite images from NASA show what the Earth looks like at night – pretty awesome!
The Opening for a Fresh ObamaCare Challenge
Rivkin and Casey: The Opening for a Fresh ObamaCare Challenge – WSJ.com.
“By defining the mandate as a tax, one that will not be uniformly applied, the Supreme Court ran afoul of the Constitution.”