Acton Occasional Series

November 28, 2017

Why increasing job safety lowers workers wages

Note: This is post #58 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Here’s a surprising fact: Firms have an incentive to increase job safety, because then they can lower wages. Continue Reading...

November 24, 2017

5 facts about Black Friday

Today is the unofficial first day of the holiday shopping season. Here are five facts you should know about Black Friday. 1. The term “Black Friday” was coined by the Philadelphia Police Department’s traffic squad in the 1950s. Continue Reading...

November 21, 2017

The tradeoff between fun and wages

Note: This is post #57 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. If you had to choose, would you rather be a sewer inspector spending your days underground or a lifeguard on the beach? Continue Reading...

November 17, 2017

7 Figures: Marriage, family, and economics in 2017

The 2017 American Family Survey was designed to understand the “lived experiences of Americans in their relationships and families” and provide “context for understanding Americans’ life choices, economic experiences, attitudes about their own relationships, and evaluations of the relationships they see around them.” Continue Reading...

November 14, 2017

How the ‘sheepskin effect’ signals education and affects wages

Note: This is post #56 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Why do wages in America differ greatly among workers? One reason, says economist Alex Tabarrok, includes differences in human capital—tools of the mind. Continue Reading...

November 10, 2017

5 Facts about veterans

Today is Veterans Day, a U.S. public holiday set aside to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the armed forces both in wartime or peacetime. Here are five facts you should know about veterans in the United States: 1. Continue Reading...

November 08, 2017

5 facts about the Russian Revolution

This week is the hundredth anniversary of the second Russian Revolution, one of the most transformative political events in the history of the modern world. Here are five facts you should know about the world’s most destructive revolution: 1. Continue Reading...

November 07, 2017

Is education signaling or skill building?

Note: This is post #55 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Do you learn about things, because the learning itself matters, or is education all about the signal you—and your degree—send out to the world? Continue Reading...

November 03, 2017

Unemployment as economic-spiritual indicator — October 2017 report

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and for communities. Continue Reading...

November 02, 2017

Explainer: What you should know about the GOP tax plan

Earlier today, Congressional Republicans introduced the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the House version of their long-promised tax reform legislation. Here is what you should know about the bill: How does the plan affect individual taxpayers? Continue Reading...

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