Latest Posts

July 09, 2019

How fiscal policy can lead to ‘crowding out’

Note: This is post #128 in a weekly video series on basic economics. Effective fiscal policy has to be timely, targeted, and temporary. But how the central bank, businesses, and consumers respond to fiscal policy also plays a role in how effective it is, says economist Alex Tabarrok. Continue Reading...
July 09, 2019

Greece: The end of austerity populism?

On Monday, the leadership of the anti-austerity populism passed definitively to Matteo Salvini of Italy, as Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in as the prime minister of Greece. Mitsotakis, the son of former Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis, displaced Alexis Tsipras of the left-wing ruling party, Syriza (literally “the Coalition of the Left”), on a platform of lower taxes, deregulation, and unleashing the free market. Continue Reading...
July 08, 2019

Lessons in logic from ‘Seinfeld’

Last week marked the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of the megahit TV show Seinfeld. During its reign the series was often described as “a show about nothing.” But in reality it was a show about a lot of things, including logic and truth. Continue Reading...
July 08, 2019

Spider-Man: Distrust and Deepfakes

The latest addition the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is Spider-Man: Far from Home, which brings an end to Phase 3. In this installment, we have an intriguing spin on the standard superhero motif of vocation and responsibility. Continue Reading...