Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

What Keynes Wrote about The Phillips Curve

Robert Waldmann Mike Kimel just remarked that Keynes was in no way responsible for the incorrect impression that the Phillips curve graphs the set of unemployment and inflation rates available to policy makers. In a comment, I said he was totally correct. In fact, I’d go further and argued that Keynes warned against that mistake […]

Letting rates go up for the rich

by Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter Letting rates go up for the rich When I was asked by the New York Times to write a brief op-ed to counter arguments made in the Washington Post that the economy would be helped by cutting taxes for the rich (so that they stay the same as they were […]

Book signing

by Mike Kimel I’m having my first ever book signing on Sunday, October 10, at the Border’s bookstore in North Canton, Ohio for Presimetrics, the book I wrote with Michael Kanell. If it goes well, I’ll look into doing signings at bigger cities as well. As to the selection of the store – simply put, […]

What Keynes Meant by "Involuntary Unemployment"

Robert Waldmann Mark Thoma linked to a post at my personal blog about the history of economic thought 101, what did Keynes write in “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money.” So I guess my next effort at humiliatingly elementary history of thought should be here. After the jump. When contemporary economists speak of […]

Wonders of private equity

Wonders of private equity at Econospeak by Michael Perelman points to another example of of the a type of ‘investment’ that adds up to a very different idea than many think. No comment needed. Creswell, Julie and Peter Lattman. 2010. “Private Equity Thrives Again, but Dark Shadows Loom.” New York Times (29 September) Dealbook Special […]

Tax Receipts

Robert Waldmann The entire blogsphere seems to be fascinated by the idea that maybe the IRS could mail tax payers a receipt showing where their taxes go. Oddly the IRS just decided to stop mailing something — 1040 booklets. Which, you guessed it, explain where your tax money goes. This has been mailed to every […]