Wrap Up for November 2020

In monetary policy, "One of the most important goals of teaching supply and demand is to stop students from reasoning from a price change."

Coronavirus is making women more reluctant to start families.

"It's almost as if his leadership was reverse-engineered to erode civic trust."

At least 2020 did not also feature a financial crisis. The Fed has succeeded where others have failed.

Scott Sumner reviews Strategies for Monetary Policy by John Cochrane and John Taylor.

Correlating wealth and ability. 

Advanced degree holders can be permanently affected by recessionary circumstance.

We have not always been good at protecting freedom of speech.

Can Democrats reconnect with the heartland?

"waste is essentially a design flaw"  Useful perspective re the environment. Why not create more efficient forms of manufacture?

The message of hope and unity is especially important now.

When it comes to tiny homes, having wheels helps overcome regulatory hurdles and their consequent expenses.

Why have exchange rates been so calm?

Work/family balance has changed for female college graduates over the last century.

Auction theory continues to evolve.

Crowdsourcing for medical treatments.

"The panic of 1837"

In some respects the economic news is quite good for Biden.

What counts as progress?

Childhood and old age play important roles for human capacity.

Unlike other countries, Hawaiian coffee farmers are dependent on tourism, hence experienced considerable setbacks from the pandemic. 

Healthcare in a Biden administration could benefit from a bipartisan approach.

79 percent believe common ground is possible.

Well designed contracts can reduce government tendencies to skimp on routine maintenance.

Wall Street has gradually become more closely aligned with the Democratic party.

Intellectuals remain caught in the middle.

Scott Sumner highlights a recent paper in which he critiques the interest rate orientation in monetary economics.

What happens when high skill work is shifted towards part time options?

"How to think for yourself"

Why is money so important?

Macroeconomics could benefit from education re monetary policy mistakes and theoretical modeling in earlier cycles.

"Three MMT Fallacies"

"Reassessing the Golden Age of Invention"

Practices of all sizes have been affected by the pandemic.

Another reminder that MMT methods are not a long term solution.