Economists are not generally thought of as the most emotional of people. In social situations, this feature is usually a negative one, but in emotionally charged debates the lack of emotion can be quite beneficial. Take the birth-control debate, for instance.

Dear ladies: I really couldn't care less whether...

Newsworthy events of the last few weeks make for an interesting study in contrast. On one front, Apple Computer has a market capitalization of about $350 billion, and people left notes and gifts of admiration for its recently deceased founder, Steve Jobs. On another front, many financial institutions are concerned...

Rick Perry is getting some heat again this week for referring to the current Social Security system as a Ponzi scheme. Bernie Madoff has taught us that Ponzi schemes can be extremely problematic, so it's important to understand what exactly a Ponzi scheme is and whether Social Security...

Scenario 1: Let's call this the "eat what you kill" scenario, although the government would prefer to call this the "balanced budget" scenario. In this scenario, the government can only spend what it takes in in...

Rachel Maddow argues, in one of her latest Spike Lee-directed commercials, that some goods and services need to be provided by the government because there isn't a specific profit incentive for private enterprise to provide them:

Let's begin with an almost perversely-timed history lesson: 100 years ago (March 25, 1911, to be exact), 146 factory workers lost their lives in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City. The event was not only tragic but preventable, since many people were trapped in the building due...

It's that familiar time of year again -- crisp weather, holiday cheer ... and reindeer sweaters and fruitcake. The social norms of gift giving are alive and well, and I, as an economist, am here to help you navigate the murky and sometimes treacherous waters of trying to figure out...

I have a confession to make: Despite having a masters degree (and almost a Ph.D.) in economics, I frequently resort to using Google to help me understand the business sections of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and, yes, even the Huffington Post. This strategy makes me think two...

A few days ago, I was quoted in Human Resource Executive Online:

Jodi Beggs, a researcher in the field of behavioral economics and incentives who focuses specifically on when, if and how incentive schemes work, says the jury is still out on whether pay-for-performance compensation...

First it was music. Then it was theater. Now it's...education? Technology has enabled inexpensive reproduction of a wide variety of media, which has in turn radically transformed the structures of a number of industries. Whereas we used to have only concert halls and live theater, we now have CDs, MP3s,...

Okay, so Top Kill failed. First, let me get the typical reactions to the BP/Transocean/whoever oil spill out of the way: RAWR! Oil everywhere! RAWR! Pelicans! RAWR! You should have been more careful! RAWR! Who would have thought that giant oil funnels wouldn't be the silver bullet? RAWR!...

It all started with the olive. Back in 1987, American Airlines became a pioneer in the declining amenities trend by eliminating olives on salads in order to slash costs by $40,000 per year. This trend re-emerged around 2005, when airlines started taking away free pillows, magazines...

Last week, HuffPost reported on a 60 Minutes piece where Andy Rooney laments that mainstream culture does not cater to him because he doesn't know who Lady Gaga is. In this instance, while Rooney may be somewhat curmudgeonly and his ignorance easily remedied, I can at least respect...