Articles 2024
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Specialization Is the Rage
Vertical integration worked well in its day; now companies thrive by turning to specialists.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", June 19, 2003
Sears is selling its credit card division, almost certainly to a specialized financial business. To let customers charge their purchases, retailers no longer have to run their own credit operations. Dell Computer doesn't make its own hardware. It assembles circuit boards and disk drives from specialized manufacturers.
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Is Dallas Going to the Dogs?
D Magazine, June 2003
Like graffiti, rampant dog droppings can indicate a city in decline. In Dallas, however, they just indicate a city that hasn't grown up yet. Our city girl explores how we handle our pets and what it says about our urban maturity.
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Demon Deflation: Not Here, Now
Just because prices are falling, it doesn't mean there's deflation.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", May 22, 2003
"PAY Less for Almost Everything," blares the cover of Reader's Digest, conveniently positioned next to the supermarket cash register.
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The Truth About Plano
D Magazine, May 2003
Inspired by Trading Spaces, our city girl ventures north to the oft-maligned suburb and sees a world of possibility and pleasure.
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How Much Is That Civic Online?
The pundits were wrong: Using the Internet to buy cars does save consumers money.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", April 24, 2003
The 21st century hasn't brought us flying cars. But it has made the nonflying kind a lot easier to buy.
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Wives' Tale: The "marriage penalty" taxes women for working, not wedding
The Boston Globe, April 09, 2003
Every April 15 inevitably brings complaints about the "marriage penalty." From the kind of talk that surrounds the issue, especially the pronouncements of conservatives, you'd think the penalty was a plot to encourage couples to live in sin. -
Is War a Generator of Expenses or an Economic Stimulus?
Today, policy makers view war as a generator of expenses rather than an economic stimulus.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", March 27, 2003
Ending months of debate and speculation, the Bush administration this week asked Congress for nearly $75 billion to cover the costs of the Iraq war through the end of September.
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Looking inside the brains of the stingy and the open handed
(a terrible headline; the column is on neuroeconomics)
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", February 27, 2003
Here's a game economists play: Player 1 has $10 and can give any dollar amount to Player 2. Player 2 can either accept or reject it. If Player 2 accepts, they both keep the money. If Player 2 rejects it, neither player gets anything.
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A Tool to Explain Affirmative Action
The lessons of the grocery shelf also have something to say about affirmative action.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", January 30, 2003
What is true for yogurt and meat is true for Supreme Court appointments, award nominees, TV talking heads, corporate board members, conference speaker selections and many mundane hiring decisions.
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Tax policy is not just an economic tool. It's also a partisan weapon.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", January 01, 2003
Congress and the Bush administration are promising Americans tax cuts in the new year. What form those cuts take will spark fierce debate.