Articles 2024
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The curbs on steel trade demonstrate the faults of courting special interests.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", June 14, 2001
GEORGE W. BUSH has often declared that free trade brings prosperity. He advocates extending the North American free-trade zone to all democracies in this hemisphere. He appears to have a deep conviction that free trade is right and good.
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The wealth of nations depends on how open they are to international trade.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", May 17, 2001
Stumping last week for expanding free trade, President Bush added a fresh argument to the usual promises of new markets for American goods and services. He called free trade a "moral imperative" essential to economic and political progress. "When we negotiate for open markets," he said, "we are providing new hope for the world's poor."
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Obituary for Edith Efron: The Woman Who Saw Through Walls
Dynamist.com, April 19, 2001
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How Well Can Economists Measure Variety?
Variety is a good gauge of progress. But how well can economists measure it?
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", April 19, 2001
Are you better off than you were four years ago? It's not just a rhetorical jab for presidential candidates; it's a vexing puzzle for economists. From a purely material point of view, what does it mean to be better off? In a dynamic economy where goods and services are constantly changing, how do you gauge progress?
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Waistlines Are Now Victims of Economic Progress
Americans' waistlines have become the victims of economic progress.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", March 22, 2001
Ever alert for trends that threaten Americans' health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported some bad news. Only about a quarter of the population is getting enough exercise, and that percentage barely budged from 1990 to 1998. The media may be full of beautiful, fit bodies, but neither those images nor the pleading of health experts is having much effect. Most Americans seem content to stay on the couch. The result is ever greater obesity.
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A Seductive, Invidious Argument
Dynamist blog, March 08, 2001
Does all of American history belong to all Americans? Can even the most recent immigrant claim a connection to the American founding and all that followed? Or does the nation's history belong only to those with blood ties to its creators? -
Dropping the SATs Is an Excuse to Drop Standards
Los Angeles Times, February 25, 2001
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Smaller classes don't necessarily equal better education. Do the math!
("Why Smaller Classes..." would be a more accurate headline.)
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", February 22, 2001
President Bush has been on the road this week, promoting the education package that is a centerpiece of his policy agenda. His plan, whose broad outlines enjoy bipartisan support, ties federal funds to minimum performance standards on regular tests. But it also gives states a lot of flexibility in how they set and achieve their educational goals.
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The roots of stable expansion extend well beyond the Greenspan era.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", January 25, 2001
As Alan Greenspan testifies in Congress today, nervous investors and business executives will be looking for any hint of future Federal Reserve policy. From populist talk show hosts to Wall Street traders, many Americans believe Mr. Greenspan, as chairman of the Fed, almost single-handedly controls the economy of the United States.
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Electric Blues in La-La Land: Don't Blame Deregulation
The New York Times, "Week in Review", January 13, 2001
CALIFORNIANS are facing electricity blackouts, and the state's investor-owned utilities warned they are about to go bankrupt. Electricity-dependent industries, notably in Silicon Valley, are scrambling to buy generators. Consumers are up in arms over rising prices and disrupted service.